Lust, Love, and Heartbreak
by Cunning and Ambition
Summary: Next generation fic. What happens when Albus Potter and Hugo Weasley make an interesting bet about who can bed a selected girl first? Lots of lust, maybe a little love, and a whole lot of heartbreak. M for possible later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter in any way, shape, form, or language._

Albus Severus Potter was starting his seventh year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as a proud and slightly arrogant Gryffindor. He sat on the train, giving his tearful mother a half-hearted wave from the window, and returning his father's wry grin. Apart from the glasses, Albus looked extremely similar to his father, though less lanky and slightly more muscular. Something he had actually worked on. He was an attractive boy, and he took advantage of that whenever possible. He didn't exactly sleep around, but he wasn't inexperienced. He saw his sister pass the compartment, beaming as the Prefect badge gleamed on her chest. She was the do-gooder of the Potter children, where as James, when he was here, tended to take after his Uncle George and the late Fred.

Albus' best friend, and cousin, Hugo Ronald Weasley sat in the compartment across from Albus, nodding vaguely as his overly protective mother continued asking him if he'd remembered various items through the glass. Just to irritate her, Hugo moved his mouth as if saying something important, though it was complete gibberish, sending Hermione into a bit of a panic as the train pulled off. Hugo grinned, glad to be going back to Hogwarts. He and Albus were both very similar people, though Hugo was a little less flamboyant with his sex life. It still existed, just on a slightly smaller scale. He was a teenage boy though, so raging hormones were kind of part of the package deal. He watched his own sister pass, shooting her a sympathetic note as she stormed after a pompous looking Scorpius Malfoy, who had somehow been named Head Boy.

"So what happened to that Muggle girl you were dating over the summer?" Hugo asked curiously, remembering the rather attractive girl Albus had been all over this summer.

"We weren't really dating or anything," Albus shrugged. "More just..." he trailed off, looking for the right word.

"Shagging," Hugo supplied, snickering slightly.

"No, actually," Albus admitted. The girl, Brittany, had been quite opposed to the idea of sex before marriage. "Just lots and lots of heavy snogging," he laughed, running a hand through his already messy hair.

"What's the matter?" Hugo taunted. "Couldn't coax her into bed?" he smirked slightly. "I reckon there aren't very many girls you could bed with the subtlety of a Hippogriff in a tutu," he laughed in earnest. They both knew it wasn't true, but Albus was quite fun to goad, as he took even the slightest jab at his masculinity as a deep personal insult.

"Bull shit," Albus muttered, crossing his arms. "I could have any girl in this school," he said sullenly. "Not anyone I'm related to, of course," he added with a shrug.

"Wanna bet?" Hugo asked, smiling mischievously.

"What do you have in mind?" Albus asked excitedly, sititng up a bit straighter. Bets with Hugo were always rather interesting. "And how much are we betting?"

"Two hundred galleons and bragging rights," Hugo suggested. "I pick any girl in six and seventh year that you have to try and shag, and you pick one for me," he smirked. "Then, whoever does so first, and gets proof-"

"What kind of proof?" Albus demanded, looking slightly skeptical.

"A picture or a pair of her underwear," Hugo laughed again.

"I do actually have some dignity, I will not be taking pictures of when I have sex with whoever this girl is," Albus said, raising his chin. "So who's the girl?" he asked.

"No, you can't know. You have to agree to the bet first," Hugo challenged. Albus scowled but nodded eventually.

"One condition. She has to be at least mildly attractive. I don't want to be shagging one of the Creevy girls or something," he muttered.

"Alright, same for you," Hugo agreed easily. The look in his eyes as he agreed should have been a major warning to Albus.

"Deal," Albus said.

"Deal," Hugo agreed, shaking Al's hand and smirking as he leaned back in his seat.

"Well, who is she?" Albus demanded.

"One of the few rather attractive girls at school you couldn't bed in a million years," Hugo laughed, pleased that he had basically guaranteed himself two hundred galleons. "You've got to get down the Malfoy girl's pants," he chuckled, clearly pleased with himself.

"Arianna Malfoy?!" Albus all but shouted. "She's not even mildly attractive," he said, knowing that wasn't precisely true. "She's appalling." That much was true, at least to Albus. He didn't give a damn how 'drop dead gorgeous' she supposedly was. She was arrogant, slightly vindictive, and harbored an even deeper dislike for the Potters and Weasleys than her brother did.

"I'm not fan of the Malfoys," Hugo said, "but Arianna's hot as hell, and you know it just as well as I do."

"Fine, then you get to bed her best friend," Albus spat angry that he had gotten himself into that.

"You mean...like, Olivia Zabini?" Hugo asked, looking slightly green at the thought of trying to seduce someone like her that would probably rip his head off in an instant. Sure, she was pretty, to put it mildly, but her air of superiority was chilling, though somehow, she had ended up in Ravenclaw instead of Slytherin like her family prior to her. "You're a jack ass," Hugo muttered angrily.

"You started it. At least Zabini doesn't completely hate the very idea of you within a ten foot radius," Albus retorted. "I will win though," he added, starting to smile. "This might actually get interesting. I could knock her off her little 'better than everyone' pedastool."

"Let's just make a couple points clear. We can't bribe them into it, and oral sex doesn't count," Hugo said.

"Agreed," Albus nodded along, thinking about how he could possibly complete this daunting task ahead of him. "Arianna Malfoy," he said the name like an expletive mumbled under his breath.

"This is going to be an interesting year," Hugo muttered, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.

"I'll say," Albus responded. "I'm going to go sneak around a bit, maybe talk to the littlest Malfoy," he smirked.

"You do that, I'm going to wait until we actually get to Hogwarts," Hugo smiled.

"Maybe if I'm lucky I'll have your two hundred galleons by the time we get to Hogwarts," Albus grinned.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: No owny the Harry Potter series._

Albus headed down the train confidently as he glanced into several compartments. There were ups and downs to being the son of Harry Potter, he thought as he continued. Girls practically fell all over him, and were reduced to puddles when he so much as winked. However, half of their feelings were false, brought on only to raise themselves up socially. Still, being able to shag a girl he wanted when he wanted could prove to be rather nice. He tried not to take advantage though, his parents had raised him better than that. He was always charming, and at least partially careful with the sometimes catatonic nature of girls his age. Merlin, girls could be confusing.

Eventually, he found the compartment Arianna Malfoy was seated in, in the company of several other Slytherins, in addition to Olivia Zabini, who the Slytherins seemed to have adopted into her house, given the absurdity of her placement in Ravenclaw. She didn't seem to mind at all though. It was just more attention. He ambled there before rushing back to his compartment and grabbing his inherited Invisibility Cloak that James had passed to him upon his graduation two years prior. He took it off the shelf, gave Hugo a smug smile, and walked back out again, it folded carefully behind his back.

The fates, it seemed, were in his favor, though, typically, he would have seen this as a bad thing. Arianna was stepping out of her compartment with a mumbled excuse, that only Olivia seemed to see through as she winked surreptitiously. Albus cocked his eyebrows as he stood in front of her.

"What do you want?" Arianna asked impatiently as he showed no sign of clearing the way. Albus tsked disapprovingly at her, only adding to her irritation, quickly mounting.

Not very friendly today, are you Malfoy?" Albus asked. Arianna clenched her teeth at the use of her surname. She hated being addressed as Malfoy.

"Will you PLEASE get out of my way?" she asked in a falsely polite voice, sneering at him all the while.

"You really are much prettier when you're not making that awful face," Albus told her.

"Yeah, well at least I can be attractive, unlike you," she quipped. "Now move."

"Why should I?" he asked.

"Because," she began slowly, wanting nothing more than to hit him, "I'm going to meet my boyfriend, and I'd rather not be late," she hissed. She didn't know why the words had left her mouth. No one knew about Micheal besides Olivia, who heartily disapproved of the relationship.

"Oh, little Miss Perfect has a boyfriend?" he asked sarcastically.

"I'm glad you've finally realized I'm perfect!" Arianna exclaimed, rolling her eyes a moment later. "And yes, I'm dating Micheal Nott. Seventh year, Slytherin," she spat.

"Does your brother know you're dating his best friend?" Albus asked, smirking now at his newly gained knowledge.

"No, he does not," Arianna said, lowering her voice.

"I should enlighten him, then," Albus mused, but was cut off as he was pulled into an empty compartment. "Kinky, Malfoy," he said.

"Get your head out of the gutter, Potter," she snapped. "I wouldn't touch you if my life depended on it. Now, listen to me," she said. "If Scorpius finds out about Micheal and I, I will know who told him. And I swear to you, Albus Potter, you will pay. If Scorpius finds out, your balls will become a permanent fixture above the Slytherin fireplace. Got it?" Albus almost flinched at the malice in her gray eyes. Almost.

"You think about my balls often?" he asked.

"Fuck off, Potter," she hissed, before storming out of the compartment. This was going to be a very difficult task. He grinned though, pulling the Cloak over him and pursuing her, curious to see just what was going on with that Micheal boy. He needed to know what his...competition, he supposed, was. It shouldn't be too hard to break them up, Albus was sure of it.

He followed her quietly as she reached a compartment, empty as well and she opened the door, going in. She sat alone for a couple minutes before a boy joined her. He was tall, a little more so than Al, with short light brown hair, and dark blue eyes. The look on Arianna's face was nearly sickening. Her whole face shone as Micheal walked in, a look that made her infinitely prettier than the scowl he always saw. She was completely infatuated with the boy, that much was sure. Albus watched through the small window as Micheal sat down beside her and a conversation ensued, though only for a few moments. It didn't take long for the heavy snogging to start, and Albus mimed gagging, though no one could see it. Micheal's intentions with Arianna were perfectly clear, as a hand began its way up her shirt. Arianna pushed on his chest, and he pulled back, looking angry for a split second.

"Not here," Arianna said to Micheal, though Al couldn't hear it. She looked flushed, but firm. Albus had to jump out of the way as Micheal left the compartment, kissing Arianna swiftly, though his expression as he turned was one of extreme irritation. Albus smirked to himself. It was quite obvious. Micheal wanted sex, and Arianna wasn't giving it to him. That sort of relationship would fall apart without his prodding, either with Arianna giving in, or Micheal giving up.

Arianna stood up, looking frustrated, and a little sad. She was so confused. She liked Micheal. A lot. But he wanted something she wasn't ready to give him. She wanted to be absolutely sure before she had sex. Absolutely sure, of what she wasn't exactly sure, but she knew she would know when the time came. And it hadn't with Micheal. She hated to see the look of irritation on his face whenever she pushed him away, and she hated to think that all he was coming back for was another chance at sex.

She took a deep breath, pushing those thoughts down and walked out of the train. Albus was unable to get out of the way in time to avoid being brushed against by her. She turned around, eyes wide a moment later.

She reached out, hand clamping around fabric and pulling. Albus looked at her as if she was the one caught spying. "That's been in the family for generations, Malfoy," he said, holding out his hand impatiently.

"You bastard!" she exclaimed quietly. "What all did you see?" she demanded.

"I saw enough," Albus shrugged.

"Enough?" she asked impatiently.

"Enough to know exactly what Micheal wants from you, and I assure you it's not your _glowing personality_," he said sarcastically.

"You wonder why I hate you," Arianna rolled her eyes, flicking her hair as she pushed past him, managing to keep the blush off her face.

"You don't hate me," Albus said, smirking. "And one day you'll figure that out," he told her.

"In your wet dreams, Al," she said, as she gave him one last glance. "One day you'll learn that Malfoy's always get the last word," she smirked, slipping back into her compartment full of friends, effectively ending the conversation.

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_Cunning and Ambition_


	3. Chapter 3

Arianna spent the rest of the train ride trying to forget her interactions with Albus. Arianna apparently didn't do a fantastic job of masking her discomfort, because Olivia quickly confronted her about it.

"What's going on?" she asked curiously, though kept her voice quiet so the other gossiping girls wouldn't overhear. Olivia was the very definition of an exotic beauty. Her skin was lighter than that of her father's, and she had, thankfully, escaped much of her mother's appearance. Merlin only knew how Pansy Parkinson had ever ended up with Blaise Zabini. Olivia's hair was much like her mother's though she kept it much longer.

"You'll never guess who found out about Micheal and I," Arianna began, almost silently, feeling rather sheepish as she realized it was her own fault.

"Who?" Olivia asked curiously.  
"Albus Potter," Arianna spat, rolling her eyes in irritation.

"Well, maybe you should just dump Micheal," Olivia suggested, sounding rather hopeful.

"Will you stop?" Arianna asked, half amused. "I like him a lot, alright?"

"Yeah, I know," Olivia sighed. "But he's a complete prat."

"You sound like Potter now," she said. "It's not just sex that Micheal wants," she sighed.

"How did you two get together anyway?" Olivia asked curiously, crossing her legs and turning to face her.

"Well, he was over at our pool. You were there too," Arianna told her. "And before I knew it, I was in one of the halls, snogging him," she admitted, blushing as she realized how bad it sounded. "He said he had been interested in me for years now, but he didn't want Scorpius to find out."

"There's your first clue, Ari," Olivia said. "He doesn't want your brother and his 'best friend' to know that he likes you?" she asked skeptically. "He doesn't care about you," Olivia said gently, not wanting to hurt her best friend.

"Just let it go," Arianna begged. "I'm not going to have sex with him any time soon, alright?"

"Fine, fine," Olivia said, then her smile grew mischievously. "He does have rather nice abs, doesn't he?" she asked, giggling.

"I'll say," Arianna agreed, nodding enthusiastically and giggling. The rest of the train ride passed without much more, the girls in the compartment just swapping stories about their summer.

"So how'd it go?" Hugo asked Albus, looking up from his _Quidditch Through the Ages_ and smirking slightly.

"How do you think it went?" Albus asked sarcastically in response. "She's a Malfoy, you tosser," he sighed, falling into his seat.

"At least she's hot," Hugo offered, as if it was compensation for the bet.

"Will you stop saying that?" Albus said in exasperation. "I don't give a damn. I'm starting to think you've got a thing for her."

"No," Hugo said firmly, shaking his head. "I'm just saying, that if you have sex with her, you really should thank me," he chuckled. Albus shrugged a little, neither confirming or denying the statement.

"I'll tell you what, I've got my work cut out for me," Albus sighed. "Though, it probably won't be any easier for you."

"Who knows?" Hugo shrugged, a slightly dreamy look stealing across his face for a split second. "Merlin, she's beautiful," he sighed, his thoughts straying to Olivia for a few seconds.

"Tell your parents that, and see what they say," Albus suggested, grinning as he folded his hands behind his head, leaning back.

"Oh, shove it," Hugo rolled his eyes. Albus leaned back, falling asleep for the rest of the train ride.

Arianna got off the train, pulling at her skirt to straighten it slightly. If there was one thing she hated about Hogwarts, it was being forced into a uniform. At least green was a good color on her, to her relief. She didn't know what she would have done if by some horror she was sorted into Hufflepuff and forced to wear yellow on a daily basis. She boarded a carriage with her brother, Micheal, Olivia, and a couple other students. Micheal gave her an inconspicuous wink when Scorpius had turned away, and she had to work to keep the blush off of her cheeks. Her eyes, of their own accord, flickered to the carriage where Albus, Hugo, Rose, and several other Gryffindors were seated. Albus was watching her with a slightly amused expression, and her face burned scarlet.

"What's wrong with you?" Scorpius asked her curiously.

"Nothing," she muttered, shooting a dark glance at Albus. "How are you liking being Head Boy?" she asked to divert his attention.

"It's not bad," he shrugged. "Rose is insufferable, of course, but she'll make a good Head Girl," he admitted. "We've agreed to try and get along this year," he added, scowling as Micheal arched his eyebrows suggestively.

"There are worse people to share a common room with," Micheal laughed. "Weasley isn't half bad looking," he added.

"You think anything with boobs is good looking, Micheal," Scorpius rolled his eyes, oblivious to Arianna's discomfort. "How many girls have you shagged now?"

"I really don't see how that's any of your business," Micheal scowled, shooting Arianna an apologetic look in response. Scorpius made a show of counting on his fingers, naming several of Arianna's friends in the process. With each name, Arianna's eyebrows arched a little more, and Olivia gave her a knowing look. "Shove it, Scorpius," he snapped finally. A loud laugh from a neighboring carriage, made Arianna look up, and Albus winked at her as she did. She flicked him off, before staring at her lap.

She remained silent for the rest of the ride but was stopped before she could enter the Great Hall. Olivia began talking to Scorpius as they walked, distracting him as Arianna followed Micheal down the hall a ways where he looked at her carefully.

"Arianna..." he said quietly, lifting her chin so she would look at him.  
"What is it, Micheal?" she asked, trying not to appear irritated or upset.

"About what Scorpius said-" he began.

"Listen, I knew that you'd slept with plenty of girls before we started dating, I had just hoped that maybe I was different," she admitted, showing a bit of her insecurity.

"You are," Micheal said, sounding sincere as he looked into her eyes. "You mean a lot to me," he assured her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.  
"Did you tell the rest of them that too?" she asked, her voice holding very little venom.

_Only when they were this difficult_, he thought, but shook his head at her. "Never," he told her. "You're the most important thing to me now." Arianna smiled at him, and allowed him to lean down and kiss her. She felt so...happy at that moment as she kissed him. His hands traveled a little more than she normally would have allowed as he stroked her side underneath her shirt, one touching above her bra. Micheal eventually pulled away, telling her that they would be missed if they didn't get back to the Great Hall. She went in first, him following a few minutes later.

She couldn't help thinking that she never really felt...overwhelmed with Micheal. It was never hard to push him away or to tell him to stop.

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_Also: I will not update this often typically, but i'm on spring break at the moment! :) And I've been working on this for a long time, actually._


	4. Chapter 4

Everyone in the Great Hall watched the Sorting, each cheering equally as members were added to their respective houses. Olivia's younger sister, who had always idolized her, looked disappointed as she was sorted into Slytherin, instead of Ravenclaw like her sister. Iris Zabini looked up and down the table shyly, trying to decide where to sit. Arianna shoved Scorpius and made room for the small girl. Iris smiled happily and sat down.

"You'll love being in Slytherin," Arianna promised. "We're much more fun than Ravenclaws," she added, grinning. "Just don't tell your sister I said that," she winked.

"I won't," Iris said solemnly, nodding at Arianna. "Is it true that Slytherins...snog?" she asked in disgust, looking revolted at the thought. Arianna couldn't help giggling in response, she remembered when she used to think boys were annoying as well.

"Everyone snogs, sweetie," she assured her. "Even your sister," she added in a conspiratorial whisper. "I've caught her once."

"I don't believe you!" Iris exclaimed, eyes wide.

"Tell me that again in a few years, alright?" Arianna requested, eating her food.

"Okay, Ari," she agreed. "You don't snog do you?" she asked.

"Why do you care, Iris? We can talk about this later," Arianna responded impatiently, rolling her eyes at her closest thing to a little sister. She didn't think she could take having one full time. Scorpius was annoying enough, and he was older. Scorpius chuckled at Arianna's exasperation, shooting her a smirk. Headmaster Longbottom introduced Head Boy and Girl, and they both stood up, nodding respectfully, before returning to their meals.

"You excited for your last year at Hogwarts?" Arianna asked Scorpius, feeling a little sad when she realized he would be leaving.

"I'm ready to get out of here," Scorpius said enthusiastically and Micheal nodded his agreement. Arianna looked to Micheal briefly, wondering if he was at all sad. Of course, the chances that they would be together that long were slim, but possible.

"Well, I'll miss you," she said to Scorpius.

"Don't forget me," Micheal joked, laughing a little. "Aren't you going to miss me?" he asked, pulling puppy dog eyes at her. Arianna gave a noncommittal shrug of her shoulders.

"Probably not," she laughed. "But I'm sure plenty of other girls will," she couldn't help adding. Micheal rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"She's probably right, you know?" Scorpius chuckled. "I'll miss you too though, Ari," he said with a grin, wrapping her in a bear hug and ruffling her hair.

"I take it back," Arianna muttered, fixing her hair and punching Scorpius on the arm. "I won't miss _that,_" she said with a grin.

*Gryffindor Table*

"Honestly, I can't believe you two are just leaving me," Hugo said in irritation, crossing his arms. "You're stupid," he frowned.

"Way to be mature," Rose said with a laugh. "It's just one year, little brother," she said, patting his head.

"Don't call me that, I'm a foot taller than you," he pointed out sourly. "Seriously, my sister and my best friend are graduating, and I get to stay here. It sucks," he said the last two words slowly.

"Oh, get over it," Albus joked, looking over towards the Slytherin table for a moment in time to see Scorpius ruffling his younger sister's hair.

"I agree with Hugo," Lily piped up. "Except I have _two_ more years here," she muttered.

"But you get to spend one more year with your favorite cousin!" Hugo exclaimed, smiling.

"No, Rose is graduating," Lily teased, laughing at his dejected expression.

"You're all very mean," he sniffed. "Here I am, trying to be sentimental-"

"Will you stop with the dramatics?" his older sister said, hitting him in the back of the head. "You'll be absolutely fine without us."

"Oh, I know," he shrugged.

Everyone ate, enjoying their first meal back at Hogwarts before heading back to their respective dormitories,

"Merlin, I'm full," Hugo groaned as he walked lethargically to the Gryffindor Common Room.

"Well, when you eat like a four hundred pound man, you're bound to feel full," Albus pointed out, snickering a bit. "You know, being a fatty isn't attractive. I'm sure there's a certain witch who won't be interested in you if you're always stuffing you're face."

"Aw, does my little brother have a crush?" Rose asked, giggling.

"Umm..." Hugo mumbled, not knowing what to say. He couldn't very well tell his sister about he and Albus' bet without looking like a complete ass. "Yeah, maybe," he finally said. "So does your darling cousin," he said, shooting Albus an amused look.

"Cute," Rose teased. "Do I know either one of them?"

"It's not that big of a school, Rose. I'm sure you know exactly who we're talking about," Hugo shrugged. "But just let it go," he suggested. "I'm sure you'll find out eventually."

"Doubt it," Albus scoffed. Rose shrugged in response, not caring enough to push them for information. Boys were always so fickle anyway.

Arianna found herself walking through the halls with Micheal later that night, after Scorpius had gone to bed. They had still gone out five minutes apart so as not to raise suspicion.

"Micheal," Arianna began hesitantly.

"What's up, Ari?" he asked, half-smiling as he stopped, pulling her to a stop as well by her hand. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pushing some hair behind her ear.

"I-I was just wondering if maybe..." she trailed off awkwardly, not knowing how to properly voice the next part.

"Yes..." Micheal encouraged, wondering what someone so typically confident was this nervous about.

"Well, would you consider telling people about us?" she finally asked, a hand resting on his shoulder lightly as his hand rubbed her back. He thought, or pretended to, at least.

"Do you really think that's a good idea?" Micheal asked her doubtfully.

"Well, why not?" she demanded.

"Umm...other than the fact that your brother is ridiculously protective of you," he said sarcastically.

"Is this really about Scorpius?" she asked him. "He's your best friend, I'm sure he'd support you."

"He's my _best friend_," he agreed. "There's sort of an unspoken rule. You don't date your friend's sisters," he shrugged.

"So, then why are you meeting me in secret?" she persisted.

"Because, Ari, I like you," he stressed the words impatiently.

"Or you like my body?" she suggested. Micheal rolled his eyes.

"Arianna Malfoy," he said, "why are you so desperate for me to do something wrong? Yes, I like your body, but I also want to be with you." He clenched his teeth in frustration. Never in his life had he met a girl so stubbornly opposed to sex in his life. He was getting awfully sick of waiting on her. All summer, and now she expected him to be a boyfriend, or something.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "Maybe I'm just PMSing," she mumbled.

"Maybe," Micheal allowed, shrugging. "No need to apologize," he said, kissing her forehead. "You should probably head back to the common room," he suggested, not in the mood to persist with this right now.

"You're right," Arianna agreed, kissing him lightly before leaving him there, biting her lip. He always made her feel so guilty, whether she was refusing sex or suggesting they actually date. Merlin, relationships were so confusing. She didn't know why she even bothered.

_Cunning and Ambition _


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter Series. Obviously, my writing is no where near as good as J.K. Rowling's, and it is more sexually charged._

Over the next couple weeks, Albus was slightly embarrassed to admit he had become a bit creepy in his stalking of Arianna Malfoy. Of course, it was completely necessary to do so, and he found that the time she was spending with Micheal was getting longer and longer, and he had a feeling Arianna might do something she'd regret soon, and he found himself hating that idea. Only because he didn't want Micheal's sloppy seconds, of course. Who knows what kind of diseases Michel was carrying around. On Mondays and Wednesdays she went to the library right after class, but on Tuesdays and Thursdays she practiced for the upcoming Quidditch trials. Fridays and Saturdays she spent time with her friends and Micheal. He really hadn't done anything in the way of seducing, or even talking to her. Just a few words swapped here and there, and the only notable bit was that an occasional 'hi' could be exchanged without a fight or sneering insults.

Now, the Monday of the third week of school was the time to actually start, get ahead of Hugo who could barely look at Olivia without stuttering like mad.

"Hi," he said, sitting down at Arianna's library table. Arianna looked up, vague confusion on her face.

"Hello," she said, looking back down at her book. She grew agitated as he just sat there, and she looked back up. "Can I help you?" she demanded quietly.

"No," he shrugged, pulling out his books. "Just thought I'd study, and this table's empty except for you," he reasoned.

"And that table's empty completely," she noted, pointing to a nearby one.

"I'll stay here, thanks," Albus smirked.

"You're a tosser, you know that?" she asked.

"I've got better ways to get off, _you know that?_" he chuckled.

"I take it back, you're a horny prat," she muttered, flinching as she felt his foot brush hers, though she couldn't call him out, as he hadn't really done anything inappropriate and he didn't even seem to notice.

"These scathing insults really aren't becoming, Ari," he said nonchalantly.

"Don't call me that," she snapped. "There are a handful of people that have that are allowed to do so, and you're not one of them."  
"Is Micheal one of them?" he asked curiously, and she glared at him.

"Maybe he is, what do you care, Potter?"

"Tsk, tsk," he shook his head. "Back to surnames, are we, Malfoy?"

"When were we ever on a first name basis?" she asked, feigning curiosity.

"Touche," he allowed, shrugging. He looked up at her, giving her a smile. Arianna arched an eyebrow, looking back down. "I've only seen you smile once, you know that," he commented.

"Is that supposed to make me smile?" she asked.

"Listen, Malfoy, I'm just trying to be friendly," he shrugged. "You could return the favor, or are you too good for that?" Arianna looked up, eyebrows drawn together.

"Fine, Albus," she said. "I'll play this game." She looked up, closed her book, and looked up at him expectantly. "How are you feeling today?" she asked. Albus paused for a moment, surprised at her question.

"I'm feeling just fine," he smirked. He leaned forward slightly, laughing as she leaned back in response. "Do I make you uncomfortable, Arianna?" he asked.

"What makes you say that?" Arianna asked in response, leaning forward again.

"You seem worried about getting to familiar with me," Albus finally said.

"I just don't like you very much," she shrugged.

"Well, maybe you'd like me better if you got closer to me," he suggested, his tone implying something literal. Arianna shook her head at him, rolling her eyes as she got up.

"Every time I'm around you I just want to get further away," she smirked, walking away.

"Keep telling yourself that," he mumbled. He got up and followed her, and she couldn't help smirking slightly as she heard his footsteps behind her.

"What's your problem?" Albus asked when they had exited the library.

"My problem?" Arianna asked, thinking for a moment. "My problem is that you're confusing me," she finally admitted. "And I'm going to go meet Micheal."

"Bloody hell," Albus rolled his eyes. "Don't you get sick of him shoving his tongue down your throat?" Albus asked, chuckling.

"Listen, just because you don't have anyone to snog, doesn't mean you should take it out on me," Arianna laughed, stopping and turning to face him.

"What makes you think I don't have anyone to snog?" Albus asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Well, you're out here stalking me," Arianna said. "It's flattering really," she said sarcastically.

"Well, maybe I'm looking for someone to snog," Albus suggested, taking a step closer to her. Arianna crossed her arms, refusing to step away as he came closer.

"Look somewhere else, Albus," she said coldly, fighting the urge to shove him away from her. Unable to stop herself, she stepped back, only to hit her back to the stone wall. Albus smirked, mirroring her movements. "I'm serious," she hissed as he got closer still, and her face flushed bright red. He put his lips close to her ear, sending a shiver down her back as he spoke.

"Don't flatter yourself," he whispered. Arianna shoved against his chest and he stumbled back a step. He noted the flush on her face with satisfaction. Maybe he _could_ do this after all. "I'll see you around, Arianna," he said with a grin, heading back to his common room.

Arianna gritted her teeth in agitation, hating that her heart was beating oddly quick. She couldn't help giggling as someone pulled her into a broom closet.

"What are you doing, Micheal?" she asked, kissing him lightly.

"Kissing my girlfriend," he chuckled, kissing her back, arms winding around her waist. "What were you doing with that Potter kid?" he asked curiously. "I came to the library to find you," he explained.

"You did?" she asked curiously, pulling back a bit.

"Yeah, I missed you," he said, kissing her neck gently. "I wanted to say hello," he added.

"And then pull me into a broom closet?" she asked, laughing a little.

"Maybe," he said, feigning innocence. Arianna found his light kisses and teasing attitude to be slightly abnormal for him, but rather sweet. "Now, you've yet to tell me, what is it that you were doing with Potter?" he asked. Arianna arched an eyebrow at him, laughing.

"Just talking, I guess," she shrugged. "He was being nice, shocker, I know," she supplied. "Jealous, are you?"

"Nah," Micheal shrugged, "I trust you." Arianna smiled at him, kissing him once more.

"And I trust you," she said.

"Do you really, though, Ari?" he asked, arching his eyebrows skeptically.

"Yes, I do," she said firmly. "I'm just not ready for that," she muttered, looking down self consciously. "Just give me time, Micheal," she practically begged.

"We've got plenty of time," Micheal nodded, looking at her with a smile that made her heart thrum and her face flush slightly. "Now come on, let's go hand out by the Black Lake for a while," he suggested, taking her hand and pulling her out of the closet. They walked for a little while, just sort of talking. She sat down by the edge of the Lake, gesturing for Micheal to sit beside her.

"Kiss me," Arianna told him, and Micheal grinned, unused to her initiating this sort of thing. He complied, winding an arm around her waist as he pressed his lips to hers. For one of the first times she felt the stirrings of something akin to lust, and his light kisses were just sort of irritating her. She pulled him closer, winding her arms around his neck, her lips parting against his. She didn't protest as he pushed her gently down until her back was pressed against the grass.

"Merlin, Ari," he muttered as she slid her hands under his shirt, resting on his abdomen. He reached up and tugged his shirt over his head. Arianna bit her lip nervously as he pulled away, lips on her neck now. She let her hands fall to her sides. She thought instinct was going to kick in, and she would know what to do. All she could do was kiss him back hesitantly.

"Stop," she finally whispered as he undid one of the buttons on her shirt. "Stop _now_," she snapped as he continued. Micheal sighed and rolled off of her.

"I'm not going to do this in the open by the Black Lake," she said, redoing her shirt hastily, a blush evident on her face. "Stop looking at me like that!" she snapped as she noticed the disparaging look he was giving her.

"Stop teasing me like that, then," he suggested shrewdly.

"I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, standing up and straightening out her clothes, tears threatening to blur her vision. "What don't you understand, Micheal? I am _not ready_ to have sex with you. I'm scared," she whispered. Micheal stood up, pulling his shirt back on hastily.

"Alright, alright," Micheal said, placating her. "I'm sorry, alright? I'm not going to lie. I'm used to having sex fairly often," he told her, pulling her into a hug. "And I've got a rather hot girlfriend," he pointed out, laughing. Arianna giggled in response. If Micheal was being honest, there were girls every bit as attractive as Arianna and several more so, but the idea of deflowering Arianna Malfoy was slightly enthralling. Plus, though it irritated him, her resistance only made him want her more. Of course, he was also going absolutely crazy. He _was_ a teenage boy after all, and his hormones were driving him mad in the extreme.

"Come on, let's get out of here," Micheal sighed and Arianna nodded, taking his hand and heading back up to the castle. She dropped it as they reached the castle, gave him a swift kiss on the cheek and then headed back to the common room, going a slightly different path than Micheal.

_Cunning and Ambition_


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: Though I RP and write Fanfiction, I do NOT own harry potter. Doesn't that seem obvious? If I was J.K. I'd be milking the Hogwarts Express for all it's worth_

"Quite the show, Malfoy." Arianna froze and crossed her arms, looking around the dark hallways.

"You're an insufferable git, you know that?" Arianna asked, sitting down against the wall and waiting. "Why are you following me?" she demanded.

"I'm not following you," Albus said, removing his cloak and she jumped up. "I just happened to see things get a little heavy down by the Black Lake," he said, twitching his eyebrows suggestively.

"You are a complete and utter pervert," Arianna hissed. "Do you get some sort of sick thrill watching my boyfriend and I snog?"

"No," Albus shrugged. "I was just curious to see how far you were going to let him go," he smirked. "And I figured out what your problem is in the process."

"My problem?" Arianna demanded. All she wanted was to go to bed and forget about this.

"With sex," Albus clarified, and she turned a surprising shade of pink. She looked like she was struggling to keep herself from hexing him.

"I don't have a problem with sex," Arianna ground out from between clenched teeth.

"Precisely!" Albus exclaimed. "Your problem," he began, stepping closer to Arianna and putting a hand on either side of her as he backed her against the wall, "is that you're not properly attracted to Micheal."

"I like Micheal a lot," she said quietly, not meeting his eyes.

"You like Micheal, but you don't _want_ him like he wants you," Albus informed her, as if he had spent a lot of time researching the matter.

"Is that so?" Arianna asked, glaring up at Albus now.

"Yes."

"How do you know, then," she began, putting a restraining hand on Albus' chest as he got a little closer, "that I'm not just morally opposed to having sex before marriage."

"You're a Malfoy, are you not?" Albus asked. "Something tells me you're not opposed to fun. It's Micheal that's the problem, not you." He trailed a hand down her arm, and goosebumps erupted over the pale skin there.

"Please, stop," Arianna whispered, biting her lip.

"You really don't want me to, though," Albus said confidently. He looked into her eyes for what could have very well been several hours. Arianna was frozen by the feelings coursing through her. Her heart was thundering in her chest, and her whole body felt almost uncomfortably warm. She couldn't bring herself to stop him as he moved closer still, her hand doing nothing to stop him, so she let it drop to her side. He leaned down and very gently pressed his lips to her neck. Arianna gasped, blinked several times, and pushed him away with both hands.

"I'm not going to cheat on my boyfriend," she muttered.

"Arianna, he's been cheating on _you_," Albus said, and Arianna flinched as if he'd smacked her across the face.

"You're lying," she hissed.

"No, I'm not. Where do you think he is on the nights he's not snogging you?" Albus asked. "I know guys like Micheal, alright? He can't go more than a couple weeks without shagging someone, and he doesn't like waiting for you." He felt a pang of guilt as tears sprang to her eyes, but she blinked them away hastily.

"Micheal cares about me," Arianna said quietly. "He would _never_ do something like that." Albus rolled his eyes impatiently.

"He's cheating on you. _Right now_!" he emphasized. "I hate to say it Ari-"

"Stop calling me that!" she practically shouted. "Will you just stop? I don't know what your problem is, or why you're telling me this complete shit, but just stop!" Albus sighed and grabbed hold of her arm, sighing as she practically growled.

"Save the growling for the bedroom, princess," he muttered under his breath as he tugged her along.

"Let me go!" she snapped, trying to break his hold on her arm.

"No, you won't believe me, so you're going to see it for yourself," Albus told her, shrugging.

"Like hell I am," she said, yanking her arm from his grasp.

"You just don't want to find out I'm right," Albus accused. "If you trust him, you'll follow me," he pointed out, and Arianna threw her hands up in a dramatic act of defeat.

"Fine, lead the way," she muttered, secretly worried that he was right, and was about to confirm what she pretty much knew already. Or at least, had been expecting. Albus gestured to the closed door of an empty classroom. Giving him a look of the utmost loathing, she rolled her eyes, and twisted open the doorknob.

The occupants were so busy with each other, they didn't even seem to notice the intrusion.

"Micheal, what happens if _she _finds out?" the girl asked in between heavy kisses. Micheal didn't answer as his hands traveled up the girl's shirt, kissing her still.

"Let her," Micheal finally muttered, groaning as the girl fumbled with the button of his jeans. "I don't give a damn about that girl," he said. He shook his head as her hand slipped into his pants. The last thing he needed was more teasing.

Albus nudged Arianna, indicating that she should either say something or leave. Arianna just looked at him for a minute, feeling as if she was about to faint.

"Micheal," Arianna finally said, stopping the boy in the process of undressing the girl in front of him. He spun around, facing her with a worried look on his face.

"Ari-" he began, before she stepped forward and punched him in the face, smirking at the blood now flowing copiously from his nose.

"Fuck you," she snapped.

"He was kind of in the middle of that, now wasn't he?" the other girl said, sneering at Arianna.

"Ari, we can work this out," Micheal said. "Do you get it?" he asked. "I can't take having to beg you daily for sex."

"So now it's my fault that you're a cheating son-of-a-bitch?" she screeched. "Sorry, I wasn't too keen on giving my virginity to some guy who would stick his penis in anything that stood still long enough!" Albus had to stifle a snicker at this part.

"Why the hell are you even here, Potter?" Micheal demanded. He took the other girl's hand and shook his head as he left the room.

"Hey!" Arianna called. "He's not going to be faithful to you either," she told the girl. She shrugged and continued to where ever they were going to finish what had been started and Arianna found herself wanting to hit Albus as much as she had Micheal.

"Happy now, Potter?" she asked, walking back into the room and sinking against the nearest wall. "I can't hold a guy's attention, I get it," she muttered as tears started to spill over. She felt like such an idiot. "Why did I ever think he cared?" she choked out as Albus sat down beside her. He was feeling a strange combination of emotions. He felt, honestly, extremely bad for Arianna as she sobbed, but he also felt a sense of accomplishment. It should be almost too easy to get to Arianna now. Of course, the last thing she needed was someone else using her. Albus shook his head and with it, the thought.

Arianna flinched as he touched her back, but then proceeded to sob harder, burying her face in her hands.

"I was so close to giving in to him," Arianna mumbled. "M-Maybe he would have stayed if I had," she said, wiping her eyes. Albus looked at her, shaking his head. "What?" she asked.

"Malfoy, you're not to blame here," he told her. "You were right not to have sex with him. He's a complete scum-bag, and you should be glad you didn't give him everything and _then_ find that out."

"I just hate it!" she exclaimed. "Most of my friends have had sex with at least one guy, and I..." she sighed. "Maybe I'm just asexual," she muttered, wishing Albus would leave her alone.

"I seriously doubt that," Al offered. "Maybe you're gay," he suggested, smirking as he got a laugh out of her. She hit him upside the head, giving him an exasperated look.

"No, I think you know that I'm straight," she said pointedly. "You seemed intent on making that point earlier," she muttered. Albus chuckled awkwardly.

"Yeah," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "About that..."

"Just drop it, Al," she requested.

"Will do, Ari," he said, laughing when she scowled. "Hey, if you're going to call me Al, I'm going to call you Ari," he shrugged. Arianna grimaced. She was getting too familiar with Albus for her own good. She really didn't know what to think anymore. She had just lost her boyfriend, punched him, then sobbed in front of someone she really should hate. Someone who was being way too charming.

"What do you want from me?" she asked suddenly. "I'm sick of being oblivious." Albus looked guilty for a split second.

"I don't want anything from you." _Not yet, at least_, he added in his head. "I'm just trying to get to know you. Maybe I'm just feeling rebellious," he grinned. "And, if you tell anyone I said this, I'll kill you, but Scorpius isn't so bad, so maybe you're alright too."

"I knew it!" Arianna giggled. "You have a thing for my brother, don't you?" she accused.

"Haha," Albus laughed dryly. He stood up and offered Arianna a hand that she ignored. She got up by herself, dusting off her uniform and sighing. She had almost forgotten about Micheal when she was messing around with Albus. She felt tears threaten to well again, and she blinked hastily, not wanting to cry in front of Albus again.

"I'll walk you back to your common room," Albus offered.

"I think I can make it by myself, thanks," she said. Albus rolled his eyes and sighed.

_Every time I think I'm making progress with her, she just shuts me out again_, he thought to himself. Well, at least Micheal was out of the way.

_Cunning and Ambition_

_Hey, guys. I was wondering if you guys would want to see more of Hugo and Olivia, because I realized I've yet to really mention them. So, just let me know! Please, please, please review!!!_


	7. Chapter 7

Albus walked back to his dorm slowly, mulling over the previous events. He had been watching Arianna so much, he saw Micheal often by default_, _and Albus prided himself on being fairly observant. He didn't much like Micheal anyway, he personally knew a couple girls that had slept with them, and he had seen them crying over him. Micheal, Albus felt, was the definition of 'bad news.' And he was in the way of 200 galleons and bragging rights. Albus needed to get some sort of dirt, and when he noticed Micheal sneaking around several nights that he _wasn't_ seeing Arianna, Al got curious.

So some trailing and strategic use of the Invisibility Cloak revealed an interesting situation. Of course Micheal wasn't going without sex. It wasn't enough for him to try and guilt Arianna into it, he was getting it from someone else, and Al had gotten several earfuls in the process of determining this. Micheal wasn't quiet, that was for sure.

He groaned to himself at the sight of Jessica Finnigan upon entering the Great Hall. They had dated briefly during fifth year. Well, not too briefly, after all Jessica had been the first girl Al had ever _been_ with. She was pretty enough, a heart shaped face with wide brown eyes and a thin mouth. She had a good body, but Merlin she was clingy. Two years later, she still acted as if she had some sort of claim over Albus. It was obnoxious and it sometimes drove other girls away.

"Hi, Al," she greeted, giving him what was probably meant to be a seductive smile, but just made Al want to be anywhere else.

"Hi, Jessica," he responded blankly, not wanting to completely embarrass her in front of the several students in the common room.

"Where have you been lately?" Jessica asked. "You've been gone, like, all week," she pouted slightly. "We've missed you."

"Who's _we_?" Albus asked curiously, sitting down on the same couch as her, though as far as the space would allow.

"Well, everyone, of course!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, Al," Hugo said with a grin, "We've all missed you so much," he said, making fake puppy dog eyes, earning him a glare. Hugo snickered slightly, shrugging as Jessica sent him a curious look.

"So where have you been?" Jessica asked, a bit to urgently, again.

"A friend of mine found out her boyfriend was cheating on her," Al replied evasively, not wanting to give away too much information, but he had always been terrible at out-right lying. He didn't want to give names, and 'friend' sounded like a fairly decent term.

"Did you cheer her up?" Hugo asked, making the question sound very suggestive, and Jessica huffed a little, crossing her arms.

"No, mostly just...kept her from crying too much," he admitted, and Jessica seemed to relax. "The guy was an ass," he shrugged.

"Alright," Jessica sighed, and Albus took this as his opportunity.

"I'm tired, I'll see you guys in the morning," he muttered, standing up and going to his dorm, and changing into a pair of pajamas. He fell asleep almost immediately upon his head hitting the pillow.

_There was a girl below Albus, clutching at his hair. The way she was kissing him made Albus feel almost faint. Her tongue sliding against his, her teeth nipping at his bottom lip lightly. His hand slipped under her shirt, and she pressed herself against him, almost greedily. "Merlin," he groaned, pulling her shirt over her head, kissing the blush on her cheeks and then down her torso all the way to her flat, smooth stomach before unclasping the dark blue bra covering her. _

"_You're beautiful," he murmured, kissing her, hands roaming her chest and down towards the green and gray skirt. _

_Before he could rid her of it, her small hands were pulling his shirt over his head, running her hands over his chest when it was discarded. "Ari..." he groaned._

Albus shot up, sitting up ramrod straight. Ari?! He was breathing heavily and was rather...excited, for lack of a better word.

"Good dream?" Hugo asked, smirking widely.

"Not bad," Albus allowed.

"Who about?" Hugo asked curiously, pulling on his robes and straightening his Gryffindor tie.

"You don't know her," Albus lied.

"Oh, so it was a coincidence you kept moaning 'Ari' in your sleep?" he asked. Albus threw his pillow at Hugo, hitting him on the side of the head.

"Shove it," Albus muttered, standing up, deciding now would be a good time for a cold shower.

_Cunning and Ambition_


	8. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter_

Hugo was prattling on to Albus the whole way to breakfast, and most of the way through it.

"So, do you..._like_ her?" he asked curiously, shrugging when Albus shot him a glare. "I'm just asking!" he exclaimed.

"No," Albus shook his head.

"You were mo-" Hugo started before being hit upside the back of the head.

"I know," Albus groaned. "Wanting her and liking her are two totally different things," he pointed out. "I mean, it's inevitable. All I think about is trying to seduce her, she's got a nice body, and I haven't had sex in forever," he shrugged.

"I'm sure Jessica-" Hugo began, and then was cut off again by Albus, and he rolled his eyes.

"I'm not that desperate yet," Albus muttered. "I'm going to go...do something," he shrugged, not really sure what yet. Maybe talk to Ari, she wasn't down yet.

"More like toss off," Hugo suggested, snickering under his breath. Not for the first time, Albus wondered why he was even friends with the boy. He headed towards the Slytherin common room, waiting to run into Arianna.

There she was, talking with Olivia Zabini, the taller girl looking downright furious. Arianna locked eyes with Albus and arched her brows.

"Let me talk to him for a minute," Arianna murmured to Olivia. The raven-haired girl shrugged, walking to the Great Hall alone now, not bothering to question her friend's motives.

"What is it?" Arianna asked quietly, not flinching as he approached. She bit her lip, looking down at the floor, not knowing what to say to him.

"Are-are you alright?" he asked, a bit awkwardly. Arianna couldn't keep herself from smiling slightly.

"Yes, Albus, I'm alright," she reassured him. "No more tears," she promised, giggling lightly. She felt like she...owed him at least nicety after last night.

"I'm glad to hear that," Albus admitted, tucking her hair behind her ear. "He wasn't worth them, anyway," he added. She blushed, taking a step back.

"Potter-" she began warningly.

"Stop that," Albus requested. She arched her eyebrows in question, silently asking him what he was talking about. "You're afraid of me. Every time I get close to you, you automatically freeze up, instead of acknowledging the truth."

"Which is?" Arianna asked. Albus stepped closer, until she was looking almost straight up to see his face, flinching slightly as he lowered his head.

"You're attracted to me," Albus said confidently, his lips skimming her ear, but still she refused to back away and give him that satisfaction.

"No, I really don't like you, actually," she assured him. Albus smirked, his hand gently trailing over the side of her neck, goose bumps following his path. Arianna shivered visibly, her body flushed, and eyes dark. Her hands rested limply on his chest as he began following his hand with slow kisses, and soon she was gasping for breath.

"Please stop," she squeaked out. "I-Michael-" her voice cut off when he began gently stroking the skin exposed between the hem of her shirt and her skirt.

"Merlin," he muttered, his mind going back to last night's dream. Arianna looked at him and his eyes flashed up to her. "I told you," he smirked, moving his lips close to hers. He grinned widely as she moved slightly, almost against her will, stretching to close the distance. He shook his head at her, pressing is lips to her cheek and backing away, watching as confusion flashed across her flushed face. Her eyes hardened as she glared at him.

"Admit it," Albus chuckled, leaning against a wall, arms crossed over his chest. "You wanted me to kiss you, didn't you?" he asked. Arianna shook her head furiously.

"No," she snapped. "You were practically assaulting me, Albus," she muttered. "What do you want from me? I don't want this," she whispered.

"Your body does," Albus disagreed smugly.

"Yes, but my body doesn't control me!" she snapped. "And I'm sick of my body being the only thing anyone wants," she spat, crossing her arms defensively.

"Malfoy," he sighed. "Typically you want someone to be physically attracted to you in a relationship.

"Well, we're NOT in a relationship, and Michael was plenty attracted to me, but that didn't work so well. Did it?" she laughed.

"You don't seem too upset by it," Albus pointed out nonchalantly. Arianna's eyes darted up to his and she crossed her arms unhappily.

"You're a right bastard you know that," she snapped. "You tell me my boyfriend's practically a scum-bag, tell me he's cheating on me because all he wanted is sex," she paused, shaking her head angrily, "and look at what you're doing right now!" she accused. "Are all guys the same?" she asked rhetorically.

"Don't compare me to that prat," he said, lip curling into something akin to a sneer. "I was raised with decent morals. I would never cheat on anyone." He hated the way she was acting. Why did she have to be so damn difficult?! And now with the thought of his dream on his mind, being anywhere close to her left his mind fuddled and his judgment impaired "I wouldn't expect that you and your brother were raised with the same values," he said without thinking.

"What the hell is your problem?" she asked. She glowered up at him. "Do you honestly think I enjoy being a Malfoy?" she demanded, pushing past him and storming through the Great Hall.

"Why wouldn't you?" Albus asked, catching her wrist, looking confused. Her comment had thrown him a little. "You're ridiculously rich, are you not?"

"Yes, I am," Arianna agreed. "But listen to yourself. The name Malfoy isn't exactly associated with anything good. All we're known for is the Dark Mark," she looked down. "It's why I want to be an Auror," she muttered. Albus didn't really know what to say, so Ari took this as her opportunity to escape and she gently extricated her wrist from his grasp, entering the Great Hall.

She was just in time to see a furious looking Michael storming out of the Great Hall with startling blue hair and tongue swollen. Arianna laughed aloud, earning her a glare.

"Serves you right," Albus muttered under his breath as Michael passed, who turned for a moment, looking as if contemplating murdering Albus. After a few seconds, he made a derisive sound under his breath and continuing his path towards the Hospital Wing. Olivia looked across the Great Hall, meeting eyes with Arianna at the entrance and giving her a rather conspicuous wink.

Arianna stepped back into the hall, out of sight and giggled uncontrollably. Merlin, this was why she needed Olivia around. Albus was chuckling as well. He was starting to understand something. Despite her easy confidence, Arianna was insecure, and what Michael had done had been downright humiliating as well as heart breaking. Albus couldn't blame her for the way she was so quick to push him away. He hadn't exactly gained her trust, he would have to. He winced inwardly. He would have to gain her trust and shag her for a bet. Maybe he would stay with her afterward. Just so she wouldn't be too upset, of course.

_Cunning and Ambition_

_Read and Review, por favor!! _


	9. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: I wrote a letter to J.K asking for ownership of Harry Potter. I'm still waiting on that reply._

"Can I walk you to class?" Albus asked, catching up with Arianna after breakfast. Arianna laughed.

"Well, I can't stop you from walking with me to my class_, _but no, you can't walk me to class," she smirked, laughing at the expression on his face.

"You're like one big mood swing," Albus accused in exasperation.

"No, I'm not," Arianna snapped, then laughed when she realized that she appeared to be having another mood swing. "No," she said more calmly, "it's just you that I'm like that around."

"Why do you think that is?" Albus asked, walking quickly to catch up with her as she began towards her class. He couldn't help grinning at some of the confused looks they got, just at the fact they were walking together, seemingly getting along. Arianna thought about his question for several seconds.

"Because I don't trust you, and you've still managed to learn too much about me," she finally decided, feeling as if that summed up her feelings for him fairly accurately.

"And why don't you trust me?" Albus challenged with a grin as her pace slowed down while she spoke to him. Arianna thought about that for a while too.

"Because I'm not supposed to,"she told him. "I've been always told not to trust you, and so I don't. I'm working on that."

"Trusting me, or doing what you want, not what your told?" Albus clarified, once again pushing his boundaries. Well, he had always been like that whether with his parents, siblings, or prospective girlfriends. NOT that she would ever be his _girlfriend._ Albus shook his head inwardly. This was a conquest. He needed to remember that. He couldn't afford to go soft, not with Hugo working towards a similar goal. Their families might be well off, but two hundred galleons was still a lot.

"Let's do something tonight," he suggested when the silence became awkward, acting on pure impulse now. Arianna finally turned to him, as if he had dragged her from a deep stupor. In fact, she had. She had been contemplating what he had said. What if she was only so hostile with Albus because she had always assumed she should be?

"Like what?" she asked warily. "Because if it involves a broom closet, empty classroom, or anything of the sort, I will hex you, and you will never have children," she promised.

"Don't be so defensive," Albus sighed. "It's not becoming."

"I'll tell you what's not 'becoming,'" Arianna snapped, becoming angry now. "Your constant need to point out my short-comings or accuse me of something!" Albus sighed, nodding reluctantly.

"You're right," he said, a hint of a smirk playing at his lips. "Would you like me to point out your utterly charming qualities?" he asked. "You're very pretty," he began, his smirk full blown as she blushed.

"Fine, fine," Arianna sighed as they reached her classroom. "What are we doing tonight?" she asked impatiently. Albus grinned widely, though he hadn't actually expected her to agree to it.

"Let's go to Hogsmeade," Albus suggested, laughing at the worried expression on Arianna's face.

"B-but what if we get caught?" Arianna asked nervously, biting her lip, apparently undecided as to whether or not this was a stupid idea.

"I've got an Invisibility Cloak and a good knowledge of secret passageways," Albus shrugged, not terribly concerned. "Come on, it'll be fun," he said.

"Right," Arianna muttered. "Oodles of fun," she confirmed. "So, where-"

"I'll meet you outside your common room at eight," he suggested, cutting her off, already running late for class. "Sound good?"

"Sure," she sighed in response, wondering why on earth she was getting herself into this. She knew it was a bad idea, so why do it?

She went through classes the rest of the day a complete nervous wreck for no apparent reason. She wasn't trying to impress Albus, that would be ridiculous. Now she was back in her dorm, looking frantically in the mirror.

She had never met someone so critical of her as Albus. He had never said anything bad about her appearance, but she felt like it was the only thing she could really do something about, and, however childishly, she wanted to at least throw him off a bit. She grabbed a black skirt, falling well above the knees and a teal blouse. She was never one for makeup, so she just brushed on the least bit of mascara, heading downstairs. So maybe there was nothing she could do.

"Hey," Albus greeted , throwing the Invisibility Cloak over the two of them quickly, not before letting his eyes linger on the amount of her skin showing. "Let's go," he suggested, his hand on her back as he led her towards one of the many secret passages, through it, and then into Hogsmeade, where he pulled off the cloak. He took her hand, pulling her towards the Three Broomsticks.

"Butterbeer?" he asked her and she nodded, a small smile on her lips. He got up to go give his order to the bar maid, smirking at the fact that no one ever questioned how he was out of school. The benefits of being a Potter really were endless..

_I know it wasn't super exciting! It gets good next chapter, in my opinion!_

_Read and Review!!!!_

_Cunning and Ambition._


	10. Chapter 10

_Disclaimer: No own-y Harry Potter!_

Albus walked back to the table, giving her a genuine smile. He handed her the glass, then took a sip out of his own.

"So, you're already trying to get me drunk," Arianna teased as she drank some as well. "I don't know how I'm going to stomach this much alcohol."

"Oh, please," Albus laughed. "I've seen a Slytherin party, and I've seen you knock back enough firewhiskey to kill a grown man," he smirked.

"Yeah, it's a talent," Ari shrugged. "Actually, it kind of sucks because it takes a really long time to get wasted. No one gets any better looking," she said with a smirk.

"Good thing I'm already easy on the eyes then, ay?" Albus asked. He felt like conversation and teasing were easier now that they weren't at school, away from the traditional expectations.

"You're very vain, Potter," she noted, only half kidding.

"What makes you think that?" Albus asked her curiously, propping his chin up on his fist and waiting for her answer.

"I think it's because you have too many girls that want you," Arianna mused. "It's given you the idea that all girls feel the same way. Or that they should, at least."

"No, not all of them. There are plenty that I wish would leave me alone. Personally, I quite like a challenge. Easy girls are no fun," he smirked, shrugging. He leaned closer to her, though only infinitesimally.

"That's quite interesting. Would you like me to be more fickle then?" she challenged.

"Who said I was talking about you?" Albus asked. "And no, I quite like you not being fickle."

"So it is about me?" Arianna asked casually, drinking another sip of butterbeer

"You're very vain, Malfoy," Albus smirked. "I think it's because you have too many boys that wnt you," he grinned. Arianna laughed, rolling her eyes.

"Please don't call me Malfoy," she requested. "I hate when people do that. My name's Arianna."

"Okay, then don't call me Potter," Albus offered. "Deal?"

"Deal," Arianna agreed after a moment of hesitation. "Don't kill me if I slip." Albus smiled at her broadly, and the full force of it made her blush and look down. He nudged her foot with his. "Tell me something about yourself," he requested.

Arianna thought for a moment, looking for something to say. His foot nudged her again.

"Come on," he sighed, "just something."

"I'm deathly afraid of spiders," Arianna admitted, nudging him back. "If you must know," she sighed. She scowled when Albus laughed loudly, and she kicked his shin lightly.

"So's my uncle," Albus explained. "He cries like a baby. He always makes my aunt kill them for him," he chuckled.

"I called Scorpius into my room at about three in the morning," Arianna began, "What I didn't know was that his girlfriend was with him," she giggled. "She was not happy that I had interrupted."

"And your parents were alright with Scorpius and his girlfriend shagging in their house?" Albus asked skeptically.

"No, they didn't no," Arianna shook her head. "And they're not in the same wing as us, so they didn't notice anything."

"Nice," Al said with a roll of his eyes. "My parents know everything that goes on in my house," he chuckled. Arianna giggled, shrugging. Albus listened to the sound with a small smile. It wasn't something he got to hear often, and he found that he quite liked it. They continued like that,talking casually, actually enjoying each other's company

"Come on, let's go walk," he suggested when they both finished. Arianna nodded hesitantly, standing up and walking out of the Three Broomsticks beside him. He took her hand as they exited.

"Albus-" she began.

"No one's going to see," Albus reminded her, holding on with a smirk. Arianna sighed at his persistence. He laced their fingers, and Arianna stopped protesting. Why not? No one would see. The only people in Hosmeade at the moment. He continued walking with her in silence for a while.

"Tell me something about yourself," Arianna suggested. Albus thought for a moment before smiling at her cheekily.

"I have a thing for blondes," he smirked. Arianna glared at him slightly.

"I'm serious, Albus," she sighed.

"As am I," Al shrugged. "It's a legitimate fact."

"I want to know something serious about you, Albus. Whatever we're doing isn't going to work if we can't talk," she pointed out.

"So, are you saying there's something?" Albus asked with a hopeful grin. He was starting to worry that his real emotions and the way he was supposed to be acting were getting much too mixed up.

"I'm saying that there might be," she shrugged. "I mean, you are holding my hand," she pointed out. Albus and Arianna both blushed a little at her comment.

"Alright, well, here's something about me. I find you to be very attractive. And...sometimes I wish I wasn't a Potter. Also, I have the worst name ever."

"I'm going to respond to that in order," Arianna began. "Thank you, why, and no you don't," she said in one breath.

"You're welcome," he supplied before thinking for a few seconds. "Well, there's so much that I'm supposed to be. I mean, James was perfect for a Potter. He got in some trouble, but the teachers loved him, he got good grades, he was fantastic at Defense. I may look like my father, but he was just like him."

"Well, I'm sure there are good parts too," Arianna said softly. "You get plenty of girls after all," she pointed out.

"Only because my family's rich and powerful," he shrugged. "None of them would like me if it weren't for that."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Arianna murmured. "I'm sure a few actually like you for you." In that aspect, she could really look at Albus. The fact that he was a Potter made her want to dislike him. And her family was already rich and powerful, so it wasn't like she gained anything monetary by being with him. Not that she was with him. Nope, just holding his hand on a secret date in Hogsmeade. Nothing else.

"If it's any consolation," Arianna began a few moments later, "I really understand what you mean," she said with a smile. They had slowed to a stop now, and were just talking, facing each other. "And I like your name,"she grinned.

"Tell me why you don't like being a Malfoy," he requested, pulling her a little closer, his arm around her waist.

"I don't like being disliked because I am one. I don't like feeling like I'm a terrible person," she laughed slightly. "And there's a certain way I'm supposed to act."

"Like hating me?"'

"Yes, that's exactly what's expected," Arianna shrugged. "And I like fitting in."

"Maybe you should try something unexpected sometime," he suggested, lowering his head until their lips were hardly a breath a part.

"Maybe," Arianna agreed, her breath becoming erratic already. She was sick of being teased by him, by having him walk away before really kissing her. And damn it, if she had to dream about kissing him one more time, she would never go to sleep again. "Albus," she began.

"Yes," Albus sighed, ready to pull back again when she protested.

"Kiss me," she ordered, grabbing the front of his shirt and pulling him to her. Albus froze for a second at the unexpected gesture as his lips pressed to hers, but he responded quickly. At first it was a quick kiss, just a gentle brushing of the lips. Albus pulled back to examine her face for a second, but couldn't stop himself from kissing her again.

Arianna felt the strangest thrill course through her body. Merlin, it felt good. She kissed him back, her lips moving against his now, and she gasped as his tongue traced her lower lip asking for entrance. After a moment's hesitation, she parted her lips.

Albus tightened his hold around her waist, kissing her back with abandon, his tongue tasting her. He nearly came undone when her tongue touched his, tentatively at first, and then fighting for dominance. He won, exploring every facet of her mouth gently. No wonder Micheal always wanted more, she had an easy sexuality about the way she kissed. He didn't care that they were in plain view of anyone-

"Hey, Al," someone greeted, a smirk evident in the obviously male voice. Arianna flushed, breaking the kiss and looking at Albus with wide eyes. They had been caught. Albus looked just as worried, recognizing the voice of his older brother immediately. Albus sighed, shooting Ari an apologetic look as he turned around and stepped out from in front of her.

"James," Albus greeted, coughing awkwardly.

"And who's the pretty girl you're snogging?" he asked, looking at Arianna curiously. Albus showed no sign of answering, so Arianna piped up.

"I guess the last time I saw you, I was going through a rather awkward phase," Ari laughed, smirking and Albus groaned inwardly, wishing he could just disappear.

"Well, you're not anymore. Al usually doesn't date such pretty girls," he chuckled. James had always been a flirt, even if he had absolutely no interest in the girl.

"Oh?" Arianna asked.

"We're not dating," Albus said at the same time.

"He just follows me around," Ari confirmed, shooting Albus a smug look. He was making her look like a complete bint of a girl that just snogged anyone and she was pissed. "My name's Arianna," she added, shaking James hand when offered.

"I assume you're either Gryffindor or Ravenclaw," James added, oblivious to Al's discomfort with the situation.

"Hardly," Ari giggled. "Slytherin," she informed him, watching in amusement as his face changed perceptively. She was enjoying this a bit too much. James looked at her for a few seconds, finally figuring it out.

"Malfoy," he finally comprehended, laughing. "Al, don't you think you've gone a bit too far this time?" he sighed.

"Oh, come on," Ari sighed, "I don't bite," she grumbled. "Unless you're into that kind of thing," she added slyly.

"And if I am?" James challenged, already over the revelation. He enjoyed this flirting and the fact that they were both doing it solely to get a rise out of Al. Arianna because she was mad. James because it was just entertaining.

"Well, write me an owl, and I'll see what I can do," she grinned. James winked as Al grabbed Ari's arm, tugging her back to the castle forcefully.

"Thanks," she mouthed to James, as she tried to pull her arm out of his grasp. James shrugged innocently, his hands in his pockets as he headed to the bar, debating on whether or not to tell the family.

"What is your problem?" Al demanded, releasing her arm and shaking his head in disgust. He didn't know what he was more angry about; the fact that James knew who she was, or that the two had been flirting conspicuously. "You were being so..."

"Nice?" Arianna supplied.

"Flirtatious!" Albus exclaimed heatedly, looking like a sullen child.

"Why do you care? We're not dating," she pointed out, crossing her arms.

"So you act like a whore?" he snapped, instantly regretting it.

"Still a virgin, thank you," she snapped.

"How on earth is that even possible?" Albus asked in exasperation..

"Well," Arianna began, "I know you wouldn't understand, but I've always just kept my pants on."

"Whatever," Albus muttered. "You shouldn't act like some sort of whore, though," he mumbled, crossing his arms. He didn't like this sudden insecurity.

"Harmless flirting hardly makes me anything more than the average teenage witch, you know," she commented calmly. "I think you're angry for two reasons."

"Enlighten me," he said dryly, halting their procession towards the castle.

"Firstly, you're jealous," she smirked. "You might not want to actually date me, but you don't want me interested in anyone else,' she said smugly.

"You were snogging me rather heavily," Albus reminded her. "I took that to mean that you were interested in me, why should I be threatened by my ginger brother?"

"And.." Arianna continued, as if he hadn't spoken a word, "You're pissed that he knows who I am because you're embarrassed to be with a Malfoy."

"You sound confident," Albus noted.

"I am-"

"No, you're not," Albus cut her off. "You're scared. You're upset because you feel something around me."

"Nausea," Arianna supplied quickly. "We're supposed to hate each other, Al."

"But I don't hate you," he shrugged.

"And I don't hate you," she relented.

"And you're bloody good at snogging," he added.

"So now what?" Arianna asked nervously. She was scared, admittedly. He was exactly the kind of guy she didn't want to get involved with.

"I think we get to know each other better," Albus said with a smile, "And snog sometimes," he chuckled, pulling her by the hand to the castle.

"In secret?" Arianna clarified cautiously. She didn't want her brother or any of her friends getting wind of this if she didn't know it would work out.

"Of course," Albus agreed as they reached the castle and he threw the Invisibility Cloak over them. He held her hand as he walked her towards the Slytherin dorm. He stopped just outside the entrance, pushing her lightly against the wall as he kissed her fiercely once again. He couldn't stop it, he had to taste her again.

Arianna broke off after several seconds, kissing him lightly once more before disappearing into her common room and leaving Albus feeling more confused than ever before.

_Alright, next chapter is going to be ALL about Olivia and Hugo because I've had several people ask for stuff about them, and it's coming I promise. Also, obviously this fanfiction has sex in it. I can write fairly decent smut. Do you guys want it?_

_Read and Review_

_Cunning and Ambition_

_Ps. Nice long chapter since I probably won't update till next weekend._


	11. Chapter 11

_Disclaimer: Rights to J.K Rowling._

"What do you mean she's gone?" Scorpius demanded, arms crossed as she walked into the common room. He was glaring at the Slytherin boy prefect; Micheal.

"Well, she's back now," Micheal rolled his eyes, gesturing towards Arianna. Scorpius turned around.

"Why were you out past hours?" Scorpius demanded, looking furious. Arianna huffed indignantly, sitting down on a couch, arms crossed tightly.

"That's none of your business, Scorpius," she said. "Why are you even asking?"

"Well, I came to look for you. I needed to ask your opinion on something," Scorpius muttered evasively, his face flushing slightly. Scorpius never blushed. Ever.

"Where were you?" Scorpius asked again. "And you should be more careful," he snapped at Micheal.

"I was out with a boy," Arianna said honestly, shooting Micheal a rather smug look when Scorpius wasn't paying attention. "And besides, Scorp, you know Micheal doesn't care about being out past hours," she said pointedly. Scorpius looked between the two of them for a second, looking a tad confused.

"Who?" Scorpius asked finally. "And you better not have been doing anything...well," he coughed awkwardly.

"No, I wasn't having sex," she rolled her eyes.

"W-well good," Scorpius sighed. "I need you to walk with me. I have a bit of a problem," he said, pulling her off the couch.

"Hey, who was it?" Micheal demanded, noticing that she hadn't answered Scorpius' question.

"You're crazy if you think I'd tell _you_," she spat.

"Grow up," Micheal grumbled.

"What the hell is going on with you two?" Scorpius asked in exasperation. "I know you're my sister, and he's my best mate, but if you two have something going on, just tell me," he sighed. Arianna laughed.

"No, he wishes he was that lucky," Arianna assured Scorpius. "Besides, I'm kind of spoken for," she added.

"Well, alright then," Scorpius sighed, feeling a little out of the loop. "Can we _please_ talk," he implored, gesturing towards the exit.

"Yeah," Arianna agreed, opening the portrait and slipping out. Scorpius followed her, scratching the back of his neck.

"Well, I've got an...issue," Scorpius admitted. "And you're a girl, so I figured you might give decent advice."

"I tend to know a little about girls, though I'd wager Micheal knows about as much," she laughed.

"Yeah, but Micheal's probably a little too sexed up to look at the situation objectively," Scorpius began. "Anyway, there's this girl..."

"Alright, I'm not playing this game," Arianna shook her head. "Tell me her name."

"Um, Rose Weasley." Arianna's eyes got a little wider.

"Wow, alright then," Arianna sighed, hoping that Albus hadn't said anything to her about them. He wouldn't have had a chance to yet. "What about her?"

"I-uh, I might have slept with her," Scorpius admitted, a panicked look on his face. "We were safe," he added quickly.

"Shit," Arianna mumbled. "Y-you slept with Rose Weasley?" she stuttered quietly. "When did this happen?"

"Last night," Scorpius sighed. "We were fighting, yelling, and then we were snogging."

"And then shagging," Arianna supplied. "That's probably not a good thing." Scorpius ran a hand over his face. "What are you going to do about this? Do you...like her?"

"Yes," Scorpius said miserably. "I have since fourth year, damn it. Merlin, I don't know how it happened."

"Well, you guys probably got a little too excited and started undressing each other," Arianna said sarcastically.

"That's not what I meant," Scorpius grumbled. "But she won't even look at me, and I feel as if I've done something wrong."

"Other than shagging a Weasley?"

"Yeah, other than that," Scorpius sighed. "Her family will _kill _me if they find out."

"Yeah, I'll say," Arianna laughed. And she thought _she_ would be in trouble if anyone found out about her and Albus. "Well, you need to talk to her. Do something nice for her. Tell her how you feel about her."

"See, this is why I didn't go to Micheal. He would have patted me on the back and told me to shag her again," Scorpius rolled his eyes.

"Well, I'm tired and I've got class tomorrow, so if you don't mind, I'm going to bed," Arianna sighed, yawning slightly. "I hope you work something out."

"Me too," Scorpius said, sounding as if he was in an entirely different world from hers. "See you around, little sis."

"Bye, Scor," she grinned, walking back to her common room. Well, at least she hadn't been the first to break the rules. A familiar giggling made her stop on the way back, cocking her head to the side. Alright, so what was _Olivia_ doing out past hours. She never did that sort of thing.

She walked in that direction, not exactly planning on spying, so much as finding out what was going on.

"Hu," Olivia began, "you're not going to convince me that you haven't got some ulterior motive to your sudden interest in me," she sighed. Alright, that was it, Arianna was leaving. She didn't need anymore drama. Olivia was currently walking through a hall, her hand in Hugo Weasley's. Weird. Very weird. Arianna made her way back to the common room, going to bed immediately there after.

"Honestly, are you so surprised that I'm interested in you?" Hugo asked, stopping to look at her.

"Yes!" Olivia exclaimed. "You're Hugo _Weasley_," she pointed out.

"Yeah, and?" Hugo demanded, obviously a bit put out. "You're Olivia _Zabini_," he sighed. "It doesn't make you any less smart, beautiful, or fun to be around." Olivia blushed, brushing her dark hair out of her face.

"Then why now?" Olivia demanded. "I, honestly, don't want a boyfriend right now," she sighed.

"Why not?" Hugo asked impatiently. "If you don't like me, just say so."

"Hugo, you're being impossible," Olivia sighed. "I just don't enjoy dating, and I'm certainly not going to do so in secret." She pulled her hand out of his, not for the first time. He was just being so damn insistent. Honestly, what she didn't want was to get attached to anyone. It wasn't something she thought could ever come to any good. You got married to have kids. Love was an added, temporary bonus. And you certainly couldn't fall in love in school, so what was the point? There wasn't one, simple enough.

"It doesn't have to be in secret," Hugo insisted. Merlin, he didn't want to lose this bet, and his odds were looking down right impossible. It took a lot of guts for him to even look Olivia in the eye. And considering every time he did, he got a rather nervous feeling in his stomach, he didn't know what to do.

"What do you want, Hugo Weasley?" Olivia asked, not unkindly, just in exasperation. "Will you just leave me alone?"

"Fine," Hugo muttered, a stung expression on his face. Olivia sighed, touching his face lightly, causing it to burn scarlet.

"There's nothing wrong with you," Olivia assured him, forcing him to meet her eyes, "This is about me, and the fact that I'm not going to be dating anyone until I'm out of school. I have before, and it just wasn't a good idea."

"I'm not giving up," Hugo said obstinately. "Thanks for walking with me," he half-smiled. "I'll see you around, alright?"

"Alright," she sighed, glaring slightly as he kissed her on the cheek swiftly before she could react. "See you, Hugo," she muttered as he hurried off. What the hell was going on?

_This is a short chapter, I know. I know I said it would be all about Hu and Olivia, but I honestly don't know what to do with the two of them. But I threw in a little Rose/Scorpius just because I'm a sucker for it. _

_Read and Review_

_Cunning and Ambition_


	12. Chapter 12

_Alright, this is basically an update on hugo/olivia, arianna/albus, and rose/scorpius a few weeks later.  
Also, this gets a bit sexual, if you have a problem with sexual content, PM me and i'll send you a lovely synopsis free of sexual behavior. I needed to move the story along, so that's why there's a time._

_Also, to 'love your fic': I liked your idea for Olivia's story, but it was just too much to fit into this story for me._

Disclaimer: I don't own it. Unfortunately.

As the days turned into weeks, Arianna couldn't help marveling at the fact that she and Albus were still meeting on a daily basis. What was stranger was that it wasn't all snogging, and not once did he make her feel uncomfortable or pushed for anything. He was perfectly courteous, and sometimes Arianna even wished he was a little _less_ of a gentleman.

Currently, it was a Friday night, and she and Albus were sitting quietly at the Black Lake, his fingers pulling gently through her hair.

"You're beautiful," he murmured. He was a little worried, in these few weeks, he had become rather attached to her. He found himself actually looking forward to the time he had with her, hesitant to push her even the least bit. It scared him. He had never actually expected to have any real emotion toward her.

"Thanks," she whispered, leaning against his chest. She smiled slightly, shivering as his hands trailed over her neck and collar bone. She pulled out of his grasp turning around to face him.

"Tell me something about yourself," he requested. He requested this almost every time they saw each other, and her answers got more personal every time.

"I care too much about what people think about me," she said. "And I'm scared of how much I like you," she admitted, hypnotized into telling him these things.

"Why are you scared of it?" Albus asked, pushing her hair behind her ear. He hadn't forgotten his actual goal, of course, but it wasn't always at the forefront of his mind.

"I just am," Arianna sighed. "I mean, you're never going to be able to meet my parents, and vice versa."

"Well, that's not necessarily true. I'm going to want to see you over Christmas break, after all," he pointed out. "We'll have to tell them sometime."

"I'll think about it," Arianna finally said, smiling as he lifted her chin, kissing her gently. She sighed happily, her fingers knotting into his hair. She leaned back into the grass, pulling him with her. His body was flush against hers, though very little of his weight rested on her. The cold air didn't bother either of them, not as he traced the inside of her thigh lightly, rubbing soft circles. She traced the contours of his chest through his shirt, eventually breaking she kiss for air.

"Ari," he whispered, kissing her neck. Both of them were breathing in heavy gasps, but he rolled to the side after a few more seconds of looking at her. He sat up. Arianna bit her lip, running a hand through her hair as she sat up as well, blushing slightly.

"Sorry," Albus muttered. "I got a bit too excited," he chuckled quietly.

"Yeah, I could feel that," she admitted, smirking slightly. "You don't need to apologize though," she assured him. "I wasn't exactly pushing you away," she blushed. "Let me be completely honest with you, I want you in a way that kind of worries me."

"That's called lust, I'd hazard a guess," Albus smiled, swallowing visibly as she inched closer to him again.

"But, I'm not exactly ready for that," she continued. "I'm nervous, and I'm not completely positive that giving into that's a good idea." She smirked wickedly. "That being said," she added, "I'm not a complete prude." She kissed him again, this time her hands working to undo his belt.

"Ari?" he inquired, silenced by another kiss. He gasped audibly as her hands undid the button and then zipper. "Merlin," he groaned, pressing her lips closer to his as her hand slipped towards his rather obvious arousal.

She blushed, feeling rather nervous. She had never done this before, nor anything close to it, but he obviously liked it, so she continued; closing her hand around him.

"Ari," he groaned again, he stopped her movement on his lower region, knowing it was never going to feel like enough of her.

"Did I do something wrong?" she asked, blushing.

"No," Albus assured her.

"Then don't stop me," she suggested. "I'm trying to do something for you," she pointed out. "Call it experimenting, if you'd like," she smirked, refusing to move away. Albus couldn't take it anymore, he was a teenage boy, after all. A teenage boy who hadn't had any sort of sexual relief in a very long time. He released his hold on her wrist. It felt nothing short of marvelous, and he couldn't find the will to stop her again. He honestly didn't want to.

"Don't stop," he muttered as he closed his eyes, breathing heavily. She kissed him hard, stroking him until he had made a mess of himself and her petite hand. "T-that felt amazing," he breathed, whispering a quick cleaning spell.

"Good," she smiled. "That's what I had been aiming for, after all."

"Did you ever do that with Micheal?" he asked, regretting the question as soon as irritation flashed over her face.

"So what if I did?" Arianna asked rhetorically, even if things had never gotten anywhere near that point with Micheal. Albus' eyes flashed, feeling angry for unknown reasons. Actually, they were completely known. He was blindingly jealous at the thought of her touching _anyone_ else in that way.

"Did you?" he demanded.

"Why on earth does it matter, Albus? I'm here with you right now, am I not? But you just don't trust me at all, do you?" she snapped, standing up. "I can't believe you," she added, clearly stung.

"Ari," he implored, standing up and following her. "Come on, I was just asking," he said with a shrug. "I'm sorry for asking if it upset you."

"I can't believe you," she said again, her voice high with indignation.

"Why are you so defensive?" Albus asked, refusing to just drop it.

"Forget it," Arianna muttered, stalking off towards the castle. She was beyond furious. How dare he bring up Micheal? Or suggest that she had ever done that before! Al ran up behind her, not wanting to irritate her further, but he had never been very good at that.

"It's not a big deal, honestly, Ari," he tried to placate her.

"It's not a big deal?" she screeched, whirling to face him. "You're unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable." she said decisively, feeling incredibly stupid.

"I won't be mad at you," Albus promised. "I was just wondering."

"Fine, Albus," she snapped, "No, I've never done anything like that in my _life_," she told him. She looked down. "You're the first person I've ever been close to like this, and it was a very big deal to me, and not only did you have to bring up Micheal, you basically said it didn't mean anything to you."

"Ari, I never said that!" he exclaimed.

"'It's not a big deal, honestly, Ari,'" she quoted bitterly.

"Arianna Malfoy, look at me," he whispered, kissing her gently, holding onto her waist as she tried to pull away. "Arianna."

"What?" she asked angrily, looking up at him, glaring all the while.

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "You're right. I acted like a complete arse, and I'm so so sorry that I upset you." She bit her lip.

"I shouldn't have treated it so callously," he continued. "It meant something to me, and I'm sorry it sounded like it didn't. I care a lot about you, Ari. I-I just get jealous when I think about other guys that you've dated." Arianna sighed, hugging him.

"Sorry for overreacting," she mumbled. "I'm just nervous around you sometimes," she admitted, laughing slightly.

"Why?" Albus asked, eyebrows knitting together.

"Because I have no idea what I'm doing," she laughed in embarrassment. "I feel...clumsy."

"You're anything but clumsy," Albus grinned. "Trust me, you're perfect, and I like the fact that you've never done these things before. You're wonderful," he said with a smile. "I like that about you. I pretty much like everything about you," he admitted. Damn it. Where had that come from? Damn it, damn it, damn it. It hadn't been true, of course. In no way did he like everything about her. Her temper was a huge turn off, of course. And her easily damaged feelings were completely annoying. She had countless faults, and very few redeeming qualities to make up for them. He continued this train of thought in his head as she kissed him, saying something he didn't hear as she walked back up to the castle.

Albus watched as she left, eyes trailing her body. Well, three things were for sure. He wanted her. He would have her. And she gave a rather good hand job.

He had to stop getting his emotions mixed up. Wanting her was one thing. Wanting her to be his was something else entirely. Something that just wouldn't do.

"Next time," he called after her, causing her to turn briefly, "it's your turn," he added with a smirk as she blushed a bright red.

Hugo was sitting at the top of the Astronomy with probably the best looking girl at Hogwarts, and absolutely nothing was going on. He hated it.

It wasn't right, and, in all respects, he should be in his common room and having fun. Instead he was sitting complacently And, though he was hesitant to admit it, not completely miserable.

After all, he was holding her hand, which was something new. Things had gotten strange between the two of them. She had even kissed him once, then pretended like it had never happened a moment later. He was beyond confused. But he knew something for sure. He was falling for a girl that didn't believe in love. He was silently watching her, thinking that maybe he could convince her otherwise.

"What?" she finally asked when she realized he was staring at her. She quickly ran her hands through her silky black hair, flushing slightly.

"I'm trying to figure you out," Hugo grinned. "You've confused me," he admitted.

"What are you trying to figure out?" she asked, tilting her head to the side slightly, eyes flashing over his face for a moment. She was trying to figure out what was going on with him. She wasn't naive, she knew something was up.

"Who hurt you," Hugo said bluntly, then flushed when he realized how rudely that had come out.

"What makes you think someone hurt me?" Olivia asked sharply, looking away from him. She clenched her fists, looking away.

"I can just tell," Hugo said stubbornly. He moved closer to her, sitting directly in front of her now. He took her hand. "Olivia, I might not be book smart like you, nor very clever at all," he shrugged. "Rose got the brains in he family," he added. "But I'm not an idiot, I've got a bit of common sense, and I know that people don't stop believing in love just because."

"I just don't see people fall in love and stay in love. It's called infatuation, and that's all there is," she said. And she was there. She was feeling things for Hugo that she had never felt before. Something that worried her immensely. He had never pushed her, not in the least.

"I thought I was in love once," Olivia said suddenly, her eyes on the stars. "But that's not what changed my mind. He was charming, good looking, and very persuasive," she murmured.

"What happened?" Hugo asked carefully. "Did he hurt you?"

"Yes," she said, as if it really wasn't important. "He practically forced me into sex. It wasn't rape, I let him, but only after I told him to get off several times." That sounded like rape to Hugo, but he wasn't going to say anything. He felt horridly guilty. "And then he left in the middle of the night and never looked at me again."

"I'm so sorry," Hugo murmured, taking her hand, squeezing it lightly. She deserved so much better than that. "You said that wasn't what changed your mind, though."

"Sure," Olivia shrugged, "He's an ass, that doesn't mean anything, right?"

"Right," Hugo agreed eagerly, nodding vigorously.

"It was watching my dad and mum for all these years that ruined it. Things look perfect on the outside," she murmured. "They're the perfect pureblood couple, right? Well, what people don't realize is that most the time these marriages were arranged. My mum was almost given to Ari's dad, but that's beside the point. My mum cared about my dad a lot, loved him even. But he, he was a young guy, barely older than I am. He didn't want to be tied down, and they fought like crazy. They still do, but he's been cheating on her for years. This woman that loves him more than she wants to admit to even me."

Hugo was silent, watching her face as tears filled her eyes. "He's awful to her, and she just sits there like a good wife. H-he brings these women into their house, has sex with them in their room. I've even got a few half-siblings, I think. Cliched as it is, I've come to realize to a man it's about sex, not love."

Hugo winced visibly. He was a good guy, honestly. He was shy, sweet, and it seemed that girls like that about him.

"I don't know, though. Not anymore," Olivia finally admitted. "How can I believe that when there are people as genuinely good as you?"

"Olivia," Hugo began, averting his eyes. "I've got to tell you something," he stuttered out. He ha to tell her. He cared about her, and he wasn't going to have sex with her anytime soon, and if he did, that wasn't something that merited a two hundred galleons. He felt like an idiot for ever making a bet like that.

"What is it, Hu?" she asked, eyebrows knitting together. He looked very distressed, his face the patented Weasley red. He couldn't hurt her, not her. Not when he cared about her more than he should. She was beautiful, and she was hurting. He had made some sort of difference in her outlook, and he was honored. He couldn't taint that. If she found out on her own, that could cement the idea that love didn't exist. He had been raised by Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, he knew better than this, and no amount of sex was truly worth damaging this beautiful girl.

"Believe me when I say this, Olivia. I care about you more than I care to admit. It's like what my father described feeling out my mum. We haven't known each other long, but I care about you as a person, and you're a beautiful girl. And I've done something stupid."

"Just spit it out," Olivia replied, her face broke into a grin at the compliments, her skin turning a bit darker.

Hugo thought for a few minutes. He wouldn't bring Al into this, he wasn't even supposed to tell Olivia, but Hugo would give up the money. Al could continue whatever was going on with Ari, maybe Al would realize what an ass he was being on his own. "I made a bet to see if I could get you to have sex with me," Hugo said finally.

"Hugo," Olivia began, clearly upset. "I-well. God, I'm an idiot," she murmured to herself, voice cracking as tears blurred her vision. She stood up abruptly, shoving Hugo's hand away from her. He got up as well, catching her upper arm.

"Olivia, I'm the idiot," Hugo murmured. "I didn't think I'd feel this way about you, Olivia. I never expected this."

"Never expected to have feelings for a girl like me?" Olivia asked sarcastically. "Never expected me to be hurt."

"I told you to keep from hurting you! You deserved to know!" Hugo said adamantly. "At least I told you," he murmured.

"After I fell for you," she pointed out bitterly, standing up. "Looks like I was right," she said with a hollow laugh.

"Olivia Zabini, look at me," Hugo said with more authority than she had ever heard him use. She looked at the ground stubbornly. "Olivia."

"What?" she asked, looking up.

"You fell for me?" Hugo asked, a slight smile on his face at the thought.

"Yes, but I picked myself back up," she snapped. "I knew it was stupid," she said, arms crossed. "I knew I shouldn't have done it."

"You don't fall on purpose," Hugo pointed out, feeling like he had won something better than two hundred galleons. Albus was going to laugh at him when he found out, but Hugo didn't care. He tilted Olivia's chin up, kissing her lightly, but firmly. She froze for a moment, and then instinct kicked in.

And she smacked him across the face. "Don't touch me," she said coolly, pushing away from him and disappearing down the ladder, gone before he could even react.

"Shit," Hugo muttered, rubbing his forehead. He had screwed things up royally, but at least he figured that out sooner rather than later.

"Weasley," Scorpius snapped, sick of this game they were playing.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Rose asked, sounding more tired than angry as she looked up from her essay, silently begging him to leave her alone. She didn't want to deal with him. Not after what had happened.

"You're being stupid," Scorpius accused, sitting up from being spread across the couch in their common room. "And I'm sick of it," he muttered, sounding like a sullen child, denied his own way.

Rose stood up, her hands on her hips. "You better be kidding me, bastard," she snarled. "You're the one that slept with me and then left in the middle of the night."

"You're the one that's been acting like it never happened!" Scorpius yelled, standing up as well. Rose was angry now, her face flushed, arms crossed, and walked several steps, shoving his chest roughly.

"You wonder why?" she demanded. "You're Scorpius Malfoy, and we're supposed to hate each other! I didn't even want it. You practically forced me into it," she hissed. Scorpius looked at her with the utmost loathing.

"I didn't do anything of the sort," Scorpius snapped, eyes flashing at her. "I would never do that, and you damn well know that," he practically yelled. "Don't blame me for what we both wanted!"

Rose stared at him for several long, silent seconds. "Fine, you're right," she whispered. "But we shouldn't have wanted it."

"Why not?" Scorpius demanded, stepping closer until there was hardly room for a hair between them. He slowly drug his hand up her hip and side lightly.

"B-because it's going to end badly," Rose gasped, her composure failing her once again. "You'll never really date me."

"Why do you say that?" Scorpius asked. "I didn't expect to have sex with you and then walk away. I left that night because I was confused. I was afraid you'd be angry with me," he admitted, still stroking her side lightly, his hand was now cupping her breast through her shirt.

"S-so you want to date me?" Rose asked, clearly confused, and her chest was heaving under his touch. It felt so marvelous.

"I'd like that," Scorpius nodded, pulling her flush against him again. She moaned, her lips finding the sensitive spot on his neck, suckling on it lightly, making him groan. Scorpius grabbed her face, directing her lips to his, ferociously attacking her lips in a bruising kiss.

He pulled her bottom lip between his, biting down lightly. Before he knew what was happening, she was pushing him back into his room.

"This is probably stupid," Scorpius groaned as she pushed his shirt off, nails gently raking over his chest.

"Probably," Rose agreed, gasping as his hand slipped under the hem of her skirt. She fumbled with the button of his pants for several seconds.

"Will you go to Hogsmeade with me next weekend?" Scorpius chuckled, helping her get his pants off, her skirt hitting the floor quickly as well as her bra.

"Depends," Rose muttered, arching her hips toward him as their remaining clothing hit the floor, "on whether or not this feels as good as last time." Scorpius grinned, driving into her warmth, reveling in her cry of pleasure.

Their moans, groans, and occasional screams were the only sound in the room. "So...good," Scorpius grunted. She yelled his name with abandon, arching up to meet his movements as waves of pleasure washed over her body.

"Rose," Scorpius groaned as he spilled himself into her.

"I'll go with you," Rose agreed as she trembled with the force of her relief, whimpering slightly as he pulled out of her. Scorpius smirked, kissing her lightly once more as he wrapped his arm around her waist, knowing he wasn't going anywhere until the morning.

_Alright, so it got a little sexual this chapter. It ain't going to stop there, so you've been warned! I enjoyed this, and I hope you did too. _

_Read and Review_

_Cunning and Ambition_


	13. Chapter 13

_Diclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter._

_Alright, guys, so as much as I love Rose and Scorpius together, this story isn't actually about them. I'll have them from time to time, but not every chapter. My story The End of Us is about them though, and I'll update that some time soon._

"Olivia, what's wrong?" Arianna asked her best friend anxiously as they walked towards the Great Hall. Olivia's eyes were rimmed with red, something that Arianna had only seen a handful of times in the six years they had known each other.

"Nothing's wrong," Olivia snapped in response. "Just didn't sleep very well last night," she lied rather badly, feeling guilty for having to be deceptive. She didn't want to admit what had happened between she and Hugo when she had been hiding it from everyone for weeks.

"Is it your parents?" Arianna asked cautiously. She flinched slightly at the look Olivia sent her, but bridled instantly. She and Olivia were close, but when they got into fights it was nothing short of awful.

"No, now just leave it the hell alone," Olivia suggested. "It's none of your business, ever since your thing with Micheal we've hardly talked anymore. You're always off at nights, probably sleeping with him, if I had to guess."

"I am not!" Arianna exclaimed quietly, trying to divert some of the attention that had fallen on them. "Will you stop shouting about him? I'm not the one crying right now," she pointed out.

"I'm not crying," Olivia hissed, arms crossed as she stopped walking to face Arianna.

"Listen," Arianna snapped, "I'm sorry that your home life sucks, but don't take it out on me," she suggested frostily. She regretted that jab immediately, but she didn't want to apologize first. "And you haven't exactly been around much lately, either."

"Maybe I was sick of your whining," Olivia suggested. "Maybe I was sick of you crying over every little thing that happens to you."

"Well, you know what? I'm sorry I'm such an inconvenience to you, but apparently Albus doesn't mind," Arianna said in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Who?" Olivia asked, stopping. "Albus Potter?" she asked.

"Yes," Arianna admitted, blushing bright red.

"He's using you," Olivia said automatically, urgently. That must have been who Hugo had made the bet with. Why else would a Potter be interested in Arianna?

"I'm not dealing with this again," Arianna said, stalking off immediately. She didn't want to hear this again, and she knew it wasn't true this time. It couldn't be. Olivia was just jealous, obviously.

"What the hell is your problem?" Olivia shouted, following her insistently. "I'm trying to help you, because you're too damn desperate for your own good. You're so desperate to live down your family that you'd let someone walk all over you," she snapped.

"The only one acting even remotely bad towards me is you!" Arianna pointed out. "I'm sorry I cared that my best friend was crying. Maybe you should try living down your family occasionally," she suggested. "Just because your mum's not happy, doesn't mean you can't be," she said quietly before proceeding to the Great Hall.

She sat down at the Slytherin table with a huff, trying not to glare at Scorpius and Rose. They weren't doing anything wrong, just looking completely content with life and each other as they held hands under the table.

"Morning," Scorpius greeted.

"I take it you two worked things out then," Arianna muttered, looking at her plate, trying to fight the urge to look over at either the Ravenclaw or Gryffindor table.

"Yes, we did," Rose confirmed, shooting Scorpius a quick glare.

"Well, I'm glad," Arianna told her, though it didn't sound completely sincere. Arianna was too wrapped up in her own problems right now. She was wondering why Olivia was always so critical of any relationship Arianna ever had. Well, that wasn't particularly true. It had only been Micheal that Olivia had hated so much. And now Albus. Olivia had been right about Micheal, so maybe...

No, Arianna wouldn't believe that. Albus was not only a Gryffindor, but a Potter. How could anyone like him have less than honorable intentions? Sure things had gotten...steamy to say the least, but it wasn't like he was pressuring her. She always wanted him. Still, all of these secrets were driving her crazy. Why wasn't there a guy that wanted her enough to be with her publicly? What had she done that was so wrong?

"What's wrong, Ari?" Scorpius asked, noting her dejected expression and the way she was idling stabbing at her food.

"Just boy troubles," Arianna answered, mustering a nonchalant shrug for effect.

"With who?" Rose asked curiously, flushing slightly when she realized that she and Arianna were no where near good enough friends to ask questions like that. "Well, it doesn't matter. I could introduce you to one of my brother's friends, if you'd like," she offered, smiling.

"That's quite alright, I assure you, I can take care of myself," Arianna told her, tucking her hair behind her ear as she stood up, walking away briskly.

"She's as bloody proud as you are," Rose muttered to Scorpius.

"Yeah, and even more temperamental," Scorpius confirmed with a shake of his head, watching as she left the Great Hall.

Albus had been watching surreptitiously from his seat at the Gryffindor table, keeping an eye on both his cousin and Arianna. He couldn't help chuckling a bit at the look on Rose's face as Arianna stalked off angrily with a flip of her white-blonde hair. After another minute, Albus excused himself, also leaving.

"What's wrong?" he asked suddenly as he saw her leaning against a wall. She looked upset for whatever reason.

"Nothing," Arianna assured him, opening her eyes and smiling. "Scorpius was just irritating me," she lied, shrugging.

"Anything I can do to make it better?" Albus asked, arching his eyebrows as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"I can think of something," Arianna smirked, connecting their lips as she pulled him into a broom closet. She thread her fingers through his raven hair as she was pushed against a wall. She used the leverage to wrap her legs around his waist as they snogged. She grinned at his sudden gasp and a very prominent arousal.

"You're a tease, Ari," he laughed, moving his hips against hers slowly, smirking at the expression on her face, the way her face flushed immediately, and she moaned quietly.

"You know you like it," she muttered, gasping for breath as he pressed his lips to her neck and slowly down towards the v-neck of her shirt. Abruptly, he let go of her legs, stepping back and letting her stand on her own again.

"I absolutely love being teased by you," Albus confirmed, smoothing out her hair gently. "And I hate to stop now, but I'm horribly behind on studying, and my NEWTS are coming up pretty soon," he pointed out. "Study with me?" he asked. "I'll show you the Room of Requirement."

"That sounds good," Arianna agreed, sighing as she hugged him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Albus, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course you can," Albus told her, pulling back to look at her face, a bit confused by the sad expression on it.

"Are you only after me to shag me?" she asked without pretense, grimacing slightly. Albus shook his head, pulling her into a crushing hug, pulling her head to his chest, as if protecting her from something.

"Arianna, I could never hurt you like that," he whispered. "You're a beautiful and smart girl, and I care about you more than I'd like to admit sometimes. Now go grab your bag and meet me on the third floor," he told her, smiling and kissing her one last time before she left the closet. He stood there alone for a few minutes, thinking about what he had just said.

It had felt completely true. He would still shag her, of course, but maybe he would stay with her for longer. He wouldn't want to hurt such a strong person. But there were still two hundred galleons at stake Merlin, he didn't even know what he was feeling for her anymore. Lust or something else entirely?

_Read and Review_

_Cunning and Ambition_

_Sorry it's short and it took so long for me to get out, I had a lot more written, but my computer lost it._


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, just my ideas.

Arianna did as instructed, grabbing her books and throwing them into her bag. She slung it over her shoulder. She took a minute to look in the mirror, making sure she looked presentable. She really wished that she and Albus didn't have to be a secret. She wanted him to hold her hand in public, say nice things about her when others were around.

Maybe they would come out eventually. Albus had said something about seeing each other over Christmas break, so that would mean having to tell their parents. Her palms began to sweat at the very thought of telling her father about them. He would be absolutely furious, she was sure. Arianna thought that Albus just might be worth it though. Besides, her father would get to know him and be perfectly accepting of it. That might have just been very wishful thinking, but Arianna preferred that to grim reality.

With a slight sigh, she headed towards the third floor, wondering what exactly the _Room of Requirement_ was. "Hi, beautiful," Albus smirked as she rounded a corner, grabbing her into a hug when he was sure no one was around.

"Lay off it," Arianna giggled, pushing him away playfully. "So, tell me about this Room?" she requested, smiling at him.

"It's hard to explain," Albus waved off he request. "I'll show you," he said instead, taking her hand gently. "It's really, really neat," he said on the way until they reached the expanse of tapestry. He released her hand, pacing in front of it three times, thinking that he needed a place to be alone with Ari. He heard a quiet gasp as a door appeared in front of them, and he turned to smirk at Arianna before pulling her into the room.

Arianna looked around the room, eyes falling on a mahogany bed, and she blushed a deep scarlet. "I-Albus," she began, stuttering. The rest of the room was normal, tables, chairs, a couch, but the bed was definitely the biggest item in the room.

Albus blushed as well. "Honestly, I didn't ask for that," he said. "Maybe the Room made assumptions," he joked, chuckling a little. "Trust me, I won't push you to do anything you don't want," Albus assured her.

"I know, I trust you," Arianna said, walking over and sitting down in the middle of the bed. She gave him an innocent smile and beckoned him over. Albus nodded and followed her, sitting down beside her. "We might as well take advantage of it being here," she giggled.

"How so?" Albus asked, but his question was cut off by Arianna crushing her lips to his in a blaze of passion. Her small hands knotted into his hair as she laid down, pulling Albus on top of her. Albus groaned quietly, his body flush with hers, but being careful to keep his weight off of her. Albus' hands traveled to the buttons of her shirt, slowly beginning to undo them. Arianna didn't protest, instead shrugging out of it when he had finished. She shivered as his hands roamed over her entire body, a mewling sound escaping as he kissed slowly over her chest. Before she knew what was happening, her bra had been unsnapped and was lying on the floor. She considered protesting, but it was lost in her throat as his lips danced over the overly sensitive skin.

Albus pulled back, staring at her. His pants were getting uncomfortably tight, and it didn't help when Arianna wrapped her legs around him, pulling him back to her. "Merlin," he groaned, hiking her skirt up slightly. He ground his hips against hers, and they both moaned.

"Is that alright?" Albus asked, his voice rough. Arianna nodded, punctuating it by tightening her legs around him, pressing their hips closer. "I think," Albus began, struggling to keep his voice from breaking, "that I said that this time is your turn," he reminded her, hips still working against hers. Merlin, he just wanted to rip their clothes to shreds and take her.

"I like this," Arianna protested. She fumbled with the button of his jeans for several seconds before getting it undone. She pushed his pants down his legs, wanting to feel more of him. With his pants now gone, she could feel almost every detail of his rigid length. She could only imagine what it would feel like inside of her.

"You'll like this too," Albus whispered, taking her legs from around him. His eyes on hers, he pulled her knickers down to her knees. He didn't take off her skirt, though it really wasn't doing much to cover anything at this point. He could tell Arianna was feeling a little uncomfortable at this point.

"Stop, Al," she finally said as he began trailing his hands over her again. She yanked her knickers up, her face bright red. She couldn't believe she had let it go this far. He rolled his hips against hers again, trying to get her calm again. "Stop now!" she snapped, shoving him off of her as she hopped off the bed, retrieving her clothing.

She would have been all to happy to give her virginity up to him at that moment, and the thought scared her. Albus was lying on his back on the bed. "I'm sorry, Ari," he groaned. "I-I lost control," he admitted. "I thought you wanted-" he stopped abruptly, not knowing what to say. He sat up, looking around for his clothes.

"That's the problem!" Arianna practically wailed. "I shouldn't want any of this," she muttered. "I'm sixteen, for Merlin's sake. I shouldn't be _this_ intimate with anyone, let alone give up my virginity to someone that-" she stopped as well, not finishing that thought.

"To someone that...what?" Albus demanded, pulling on his shirt, feeling a little angry. "To someone that's not a pureblood?" he spat, and Arianna flinched as if he'd hit her.

"No, to someone that has made it exceedingly obvious that his favorite thing about me is my bloody body!" she shouted at him.

"Don't start that with me," Albus snapped. "I lo-You mean a lot to me," he caught himself before he said something completely untrue, "And just because I find you physically attractive doesn't mean that I don't like the other things too. You're so obsessed with that. Not everyone's out to hurt you."

"You're right," Arianna admitted quietly. "But it doesn't change the fact that I let things go way too far just then. My mind's should be in control, not my hormone riddled body," she muttered. "I'll talk to you later, Albus," she said, leaving the room.

_Hey, guys. I know this is short and basically a fluff chapter driven on sexy encounters, but I'll have something better next chapter. I need opinions, do you want a time skip to when things get juicy, drama filled, and maybe full of blood?_

_Or do I keep building all of this sexual tension?_

_Cunning and Ambition_


	15. Chapter 15

_If I was J.K. Rowling, why would I be writing fanfiction? Especially this shit? I don't own it, guys. Sue me, and I might just cry. Maybe. Tiny, tiny tears._

"Hugo Weasley!" Olivia finally snapped as he continued walking behind her, apologies flowing form his mouth faster than she could hear them. She rolled her eyes impatiently. "Shut the hell up, alright?" she demanded. "I'm pissed off at you. Stop sending flowers and apology letters. If I wanted to talk to you, I would have responded," she said. Hugo's face fell and he hung his head, taking on the appearance of a small child being told off by an adult. "My best friend and I aren't speaking because of you and your dumb ass cousin's stupid bet."

"How did you know about Al?" Hugo asked, eyebrows arching slightly in question.

"Arianna mentioned something that suggested she and Al had something going on. What other reason would a Potter be taking interest in her?" Olivia rolled her eyes. "She's just too dense to see what's obvious."

"Maybe he really does care about her and regrets ever making the bet," Hugo suggested pointedly. "Maybe he's even told her about the bet, and she was reasonable and realized that by telling her, he must really, really care about her."

"If she's reasonable she'll realize that it's complete bull shit so he doesn't taint his oh-so-important family name," Olivia suggested. "No one wants to think the son of a war hero is a scum bag," she pointed out.

"Olivia, you have no idea how sorry I am for hurting you," Hugo said, casting off pretense. He took her hand, surprised that she didn't immediately wrench it away from him. "But I told you, didn't I? I didn't let things go too far before telling you." Olivia mumbled something unintelligible under her breath.

"I'm sorry," he said again, verbally prodding her for some sort of answer. Olivia looked up the short distance from her eyes to his.

"I don't know, Hugo. I don't think that's a good idea, honestly," Olivia sighed. "Bet aside," she added. "We're just not anything alike. We won't last, so what's the point?" she asked.

"Well, you can't go into every relationship with that mindset, Olivia," Hugo pointed out. "All I know is that I like you, a lot, and I think I might even love you."

"I really wish you wouldn't say that," Olivia mumbled, looking at a spot a foot above his head, eyes not wavering towards him. "It's not true." Hugo heaved a sigh, running a hand through his reddish hair.

"Fine, I've got a proposition. Go to the Yule Ball with me. We've got another two and a half weeks. And if I'm really that dreadful, we go on Christmas break the next day," he reminded her, smiling hopefully. Olivia had to admit, the persistance he was showing was both sweet and rather flattering. Maybe he did like her a little. And maybe, she could find a way to make up with Arianna before Christmas.

"I'm sorry I kind of freaked out on you in the Room of Requirement," Arianna mumbled as Albus played with her fingers a little. They were sitting at the edge of the grounds, hovering near the Forbidden Forrest.

"It's alright," Albus murmured, turning his attention from her fingers to her smooth blonde hair, running his fingers through it.

"That feels nice," Arianna said, sitting between his legs and leaning on his chest. She loved when he played with her hair. It just made her feel so calm and genuinely happy.

"I'm just looking for bugs," Albus chuckled. "Got to make sure my monkey's clean," he smirked, kissing the top of her head. "So," he began, a tad awkwardly. A silence stretched as Arianna waited for whatever he was going to say.

"So...stuff. Stuff and things," Arianna teased, turning her head slightly to look at him. "What's on your mind?" she asked.

"Well, I was wondering if you were going to the Yule Ball," Albus finally admitted.

"Yes," Arianna muttered, looking at her hands, lacing she and Albus' fingers.

"Who with?" he asked, sitting up straighter, looking rather offended. Arianna smiled, but he couldn't see it.

"Oh, Micheal Nott," she said conversationally, shrugging her shoulders. "He's really been rather nice lately."

"You're kidding me, right?"

"Yes," Arianna smirked, turning around slightly and kissing him. "I'm not going _with_ anyone."

"Wouldn't feel right," she added. "I know we can't go together, but I don't want to bring another date just for the sake of having one." Albus couldn't deny the rush of relief he felt at the words.

"Save me a dance?" Albus asked with a grin, knowing she was right. They couldn't go together. Well, they could, but he didn't think either of them were really ready to go public with their relationship yet. He most certainly wasn't ready to deal with the consequences of actually dating a Malfoy.

Arianna grinned. "I might be able to do that," she shrugged. "That'll look strange though, don't you think?"

"No, not really," Albus smirked. "I have a feeling you'll look fantastic. Every guy will want to," he shrugged. "I'll just swoop in there: the son of Harry Potter charmed by the lovely Miss. Malfoy."

"And I suppose I'm just expected to fall into your arms," she challenged, then giggled.

"That's the plan," Albus agreed, leaning down and kissing her lightly. He had been worried about getting too passionate with her lately, not wanting another repeat incident. Merlin, he had been so close.

_Okay, crap chapter, but I'm about to leave for a week in approximately ten minutes, so I finished this hastily. Next chapter is good, I swear :) _

_Cunning and Ambition _


	16. Chapter 16

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter!_

The next few days passed in a bit of a daze for Arianna, at least. She and Albus continued to see each other, mostly in private. Talk had started, but nothing concrete. They had just been seen studying at the same table or laughing in the hallway. Now, a week before the Yule Ball, neither one of them had an official date.  
Albus was sitting in the Gryffindor common room with a very smug Hugo Weasley. Not only was he kicking Albus' ass at Wizards' Chess, but he was going to the Yule Ball, publicly, with Olivia Zabini.  
"Albus," came a distinctly feminine voice. Albus looked up as Jessica Finnigan plopped down on the couch beside him.  
"Yes?" he asked, then looked to the board. "Knight to C-5," he muttered, though all hope of actually winning had fled from his mind. He turned his attention back to Jessica as he waited for Hugo to make his move.  
"Can I ask you a huge favor?" she asked, eyes wide in pleading. Albus noticed vaguely that she shot Daniel McLaggen a rather nasty look during the question. Albus nodded hesitantly, hoping the favor was somthing easy.  
"Well," Jessica started rather quietly, "I _was _going to the Yule Ball with Daniel, but he dumped me yesterday," she explained in a voice close to a whisper as she blushed a bright red.  
"That was rude," Albus noted as Hugo examined the chess board.  
"Bishop to F-3," the red-head said, then smirked. "Check mate," he added.  
"Anyway," Jessica interrupted impatiently. "Can you go with me?" she asked without further pretense. Albus stuttered helplessly for a moment.  
"Well, I-uh-I don't know," Albus mumbled.  
"Do you have a date?" Jessica pursued.]  
"No, but-"  
"Just as friends," she added hastily. "Please don't make me look like an idiot," she begged.  
"I-well, alright," he relented. He knew his parents would give him hell if he refused and word got back to them. The Finnigans were family friends, after all.  
"Thank you!" Jessica practically squealed, throwing her arms around him in a hug. Albus hugged her back a bit awkwardly, patting her back. Merlin, Arianna was _not_ going to like this.

"Are you kidding me, Albus?" Arianna demanded. "You're taking Jessica?" she asked, slamming her Charms book shut with unnecessary force.  
"Well, yeah. I didn't know how to say no," Albus mumbled, looking up from his Charms book as well, drumming his fingers on his leg. They were back in the Room of Requirement, this time a couch and a table the only furnishings.  
"It's quite simple," Arianna spat with unintended venom.  
"She's a friend, Ari," Albus sighed. "Her boyfriend was a real arse," he tried to explain.  
"Sounds familiar," Ari said bitterly. "You've got a thing for damsels in distress, don't you?"  
"I don't have a thing for Jessica, we used to date, but-" he was cut off before he could continue.  
"I've already turned down two guys, Albus. We agreed not to take dates," she pointed out. "And now you're taking your bloody ex!" she snapped.  
"Just so she doesn't feel...alone, I guess," Albus muttered.  
"Well guess who's going to feel really freaking alone?" Arianna asked, acid dripping from her voice.  
"Ari," Albus said quietly, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her tightly. "I'm sorry, I should have said no," he relented. Arianna sighed unhappily.  
"How long did you two date?" she asked.  
"Almost a year," Albus admitted, worrying his bottom lip, wondering if the obvious question would follow.  
"Did you two...shag?" Arianna asked hesitantly, blushing as she did.  
"Yes," Albus flushed, deciding that being honest with her was the best idea at the moment.  
"Brilliant! You're basically bringing an escort!" Arianna exclaimed, face red in embarrassment.  
"Ari, it's nothing like that. You know how much I care about you," Albus reminded her. Arianna nodded, suddenly realizing the magnitude of what she was feeling for him. It wasnt some petty crush. It wasn't a fun fling. She had really and truly fallen for him, and that was why she felt like she was going to cry at the thought of him pulling some pretty girl across a dance floor. She wanted it to be hear, and she didn't care what people thought. What she didn't know was how deep his feelings went in this whole thing.  
"Just so you know, all bets are off," Arianna finally managed.  
"What bets?" Albus demanded, pulse picking up as he released his hold on her.  
"I mean that, so I don't feel like a loser, I'm goig with someone. I've gotten two offers, maybe one still stands," she mused.  
"From who?"he asked.  
"Johnathan Rice from Ravenclaw. We have Double Potions together," she explained hastily. "And the other one, I won't consider."  
"Who?" Albus asked again, urgently.  
"Micheal," Arianna giggled at the thought.  
"So, Rice, then?" Albus mused, though grimacing slightly.  
"Maybe," Arianna shrugged, an interesting plan forming. "I guess I'll see."  
"I suppose I should be jealous," Albus grumbled. Arianna smirked, turning slightly on the couch then positioning herself in his lap, eyebrows arched.  
"Are you?" she asked.  
"Maybe a little," he murmured, kissing her lightly. Arianna sighed dramatically, squirming on his lap, feeling him stiffen beneath her. Albus grabbed her waist, stilling her.  
"Only a little?"  
"Only," Albus smirked. "I know you're going to be wanting me the whole night," he chuckled.  
"Arse," Arianna laughed.  
"It's sexy. Blondes like it," he twitched his eyebrows at her.  
"Maybe a little," she allowed. She gave him a quick kiss. Well, it was meant to be quick, but it turned into a rather insistent snogging session. Her hips were moving against his, her breath coming in quick gasps. It took her a while to realize that his hand had snaked under her skirt and was gently rubbing her center. Color flooded her face as she moaned loudly. Merlin, that felt marvelous. She knew that she should be protesting, but as his fingers slipped past her knickers all she could do was rock her hips and try not to make too loud of noises at the feeling of having any part of him inside of her.  
"Oh, god," she murmured, fingers in his hair as she dragged his lips to hers.  
"Should I stop?" he asked.  
"No," Arianna said quickly, feeling a tightening in the pit of her stomach. It made her yearn for more. "Don't," she added for emphasis. She cried his name not ten seconds later as waves of pleasure crashed over her, and she buried her head in his shoulder, a sound close to a whimper escaping her mouth.  
"I've got to go," she mumbled, kissing his neck. "It's getting late," she added.  
"Do you have to?" he demanded as she pulled back, his lips immediately on her collar bone. He began nibbling on the skin, only relinquishing his grip when he had left a sufficiently red mark.  
"I'm telling Scorpius who to murder," Arianna teased as she got off of his lap, kissing his cheek. "Thanks," she added with a blush.  
"I enjoyed every second of it," Albus assured her, watching her leave with a stupid grin on his face.  
Upon reaching her common room, Ari set to writing a letter.  
_James,_  
_I know you don't know me hardly at all. In fact, you might not remember our only run-in. I was with Albus at Hogsmeade, and you kind of caught us snogging. You really were quite marvelous at getting a rise out of your brother, and I was wondering if you'd be willing to help me again. We're still...together, but for complicated reasons, he's taking the Finnigan girl to the Yule Ball._  
_Be my date? Nothing romantic, I swear. It'll be fun, and you don't even have to dance with me. I just want to get under his skin. He's still intent on keeping us a secret._  
_Please, please, please?_  
_Thanks,_  
_Arianna_  
Arianna smirked as she sent off the owl, hoping for the best. Maybe, just maybe, she could really get through to Albus once and for all.

_Well, guys! I actually liked that chapter! I haven't decided if James will agree yet, so input is appreciated!_

_Read and Review,_  
_Cunning and Ambition_


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I still don't own Harry Potter.

_Arianna,_

_Well, I really don't know how I can possibly say no. You've concocted quite the Slytherin plan there, haven't you? It's actually a compliment this time. And yes, I remember you, and you'll both be very happy to know that I haven't let the entire Weasley-Potter clan know about it. _

_I'll meet you outside the Slytherin common room, then? I love any opportunity to torture Albus. Don't be too upset, by the way. About Jessica, I mean. He was always too chivalrous for his own good. I'm sure he'd much rather be with you. After all, blondes have more fun, right? _

_See you,_

_James_

Arianna couldn't help giggling as she read the letter. She honestly hadn't expected a yes, but she was thrilled. This was absolutely perfect. She had a good-looking, older date. Not to mention he was the older brother of her boyfriend. She just had to find a dress, and then she would be good to go. Merlin, she couldn't believe this! She almost felt a little guilty, maybe she was being _too_ mean to Albus. No, probably not. Maybe he would finally get it. It was decided though, Arianna would have to have a good talk with him. She didn't want to hide it anymore, and if he was opposed to it so strongly, she might have to consider being with him at all.

The only thing that she wanted now was to make up with Olivia. It was awkward not talking to her best friend, but Arianna didn't want to hear it, nor did she want to apologize, though she knew her comments had been uncalled for. Maybe over Christmas break. Their families would get together at some point, and then maybe things would just blow over again. The day after tomorrow, she would have to say goodbye to Albus, and she hated the thought.

The next day, she went through her classes as normal, immediately heading to her dorm to get ready, ignoring the other chattering, squealing, and the occasional sullen girl. Her dress was a striking red that contrasted nicely against her light skin, a fairly modest neckline, that was made up for by the amount of her back exposed. She paired it with a set of heels and left her hair the way it was. It looked best straight, and she didn't want to fiddle with it too much and have a mess on her hands.

She helped a few of the girls' in her dorm finish their hair and make up, talking animatedly about boys and dresses and who was going with whom. "Who are you going with?" a girl asked Arianna suddenly.

"You'll see," Arianna answered grinning from ear to ear. She was fidgeting, pulling nervously on a strand of hair, tugging on the straps of her heels that suddenly felt too high. She wasn't nervous about James. That part would be easy. She was nervous about seeing Albus, if she was being honest.

What if he decided that he still had feelings for Jessica? What if he just got really mad at her for bringing James? She bit her lip and then sighed, looking in the mirror and wiping the light lipstick from here teeth. Merlin, what had she gotten herself into with Albus? Was it possible that she honestly loved him? Love. The word sent a thrill of excitement through her body, but she quickly pushed it down. Now wasn't the time for that.

"You look nice," Scorpius commented as he saw her in the common room. He was looking uncomfortable in black dress robes, pulling at his sleeves a little. He was looking forward to spending the evening with Rose, though.

"Are you going with anyone?" he asked his sister curiously, noticing she seemed rather anxious as well. His eyes narrowed slightly when she blushed.

"Yeah, I guess. Just as friends, though," she clarified. "Actually, he's meeting me outside the common room," she added. "So I should get going," she said quickly, practically sprinting from the room to avoid talking to him any further on the situation. He would see soon enough.

"Hello, there, Miss Malfoy," James greeted as he saw her come out of the common room, holding out his arm with a playful grin. "And to think my brother's taking Jessica," he rolled his eyes. "You look very pretty," he complimented.

"And you look very handsome," Arianna added, noting it was rather true. His dark auburn hair was brushed out neatly and the dress robes were nice. He had, simply, the handsome look of a man that seemed to evade the boys still in school. Personally, Arianna found Albus to be more attractive, but she might have been a little biased. Besides, she always linked red-head to firecrotch, and then the uncomfortable images started. Arianna took his arm and a deep breath.

"Thanks for doing this," Arianna said as they walked towards the Great Hall. "I know this is probably uncomfortable for you, but I appreciate it."

"I'm doing it for my brother. I figure he needs a bit of a wake-up call, because if he's still with you, he obviously likes you, and he just doesn't know how to talk about it."

"I-I guess I'm afraid that he likes me, but is...embarrassed to be with me," Arianna admitted. Maybe talking to his brother would provide some sort of insight into his mind. James seemed pretty trustworthy too, so that was a relief.

"Why would he be embarrassed?" James asked carefully, grinning at a few of the people giving him an odd look and waving to a couple people he had known a year ago when he had graduated.

"Well, I'm a Malfoy," Arianna pointed out with the tone of one stating the obvious. "It kind of makes things difficult."

"Well, you should really talk to him," James sighed. "Because, he's my brother, and I love him, obviously, but if he's that concerned with your name, you don't need to be wasting time on him. There's a seat for every arse," he commented.

"The hell?" Arianna laughed, giving him an odd look.

"There's someone for everyone," James qualified. "So don't tie yourself down your next two years here," he suggested. "I got too serious about a girl when I was in sixth year, and we dated. We were in love," he shrugged. "I still love her," he admitted. "But I think I ran her off. I started talking about living together after school, and I almost proposed, but the day after we graduated she dumped me," he tried to laugh.

"Oh," Arianna mumbled,surprised. "I'm sor-"

"Nothing to apologize for," James cut her off. "You didn't bring me here to listen to me whine. We're here to bother Albus, which is what I'm best at," he said. "So let's go by the Gryffindor common room for a proper greeting," James suggested, grinning. Arianna didn't protest as he changed directions. "Oi, Albus!" he called when he saw his brother heading from the common room. Jessica was looking surprisingly pretty in a dark blue dress, clinging to Albus' arm.

"James?" Albus asked, surprised. He grinned before noticing exactly who was with him. His green eyes flashed dangerously as they approached, making Arianna fidget uncomfortably. "Give us just a moment, Jessica," he said, though he was still staring at Arianna as he took James' arm and pulled him away.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" Albus demanded of James. "Don't you dare touch her,"he snapped.

"Hey, hey," James held up his hands in defense. "She invited me. Maybe if you weren't such a selfish prat, she wouldn't have had to," he suggested. "Now, I for one, don't like to leave my pretty date waiting around, so if you'll excuse me," he said, leaving Albus standing there without another word as he took Arianna's arm. Albus, apparently determined to behave as if nothing was happening, wrapped an arm around Jessica's waist and led her towards the Great Hall, just behind Ari and James.

He found himself immediately distracted by her dress. She looked nothing short of gorgeous, and he could only imagine what the smooth skin of her back would feel like underneath his fingertips. James would be touching her, and the thought sent Albus' blood boiling. She was _his_. The possessive thought was slightly unsettling. He couldn't believe she would do this to him!

_Selfish prat_, the words echoed in his head, trying to figure out what was being said there. Damn James straight to hell for doing this. Albus was going to have her completely. The surge of anger, jealousy, and a little betrayal was clouding his thoughts. It felt like his first encounters with Arianna all over again, where all he wanted was to have her under him.

Maybe he was being irrational. It wasn't like Arianna _liked_ James, right? No, she was just taking a date not to feel alone. And James had been a good choice that sent gossip flying. Alright, Albus needed to calm down. It wouldn't do to be glaring at James' back the whole night. But Merlin, how was he supposed to sit there or dance with Jessica knowing that Arianna was here with James. James the notorious flirt that could have any girl he wanted. What if he tried anything on Ari? Albus didn't want to fight with his brother, but even now as James took Arianna to the dance floor, Albus wanted to vomit.

"What's wrong, Albus?" Jessica asked, and he started. He had almost forgotten she was there, caught up as he was in his thoughts.

"Nothing, Jess," he assured her, not wanting to unload his crap on her. "You look really pretty tonight," he complimented, giving her his attention for now. "Daniel was stupid not to take you," he smiled.

"Thanks, Al," Jessica grinned. She felt a hope that maybe he would find interest in her again. Albus really was a great guy.

"Would you like to dance?" Albus asked, eyes flashing back to where Arianna and James were laughing about something or other.

"You don't have to do that," Jessica told him, blushing slightly. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable. I know I can come across a little...pushy sometimes. First times are different for a girl."

"Don't sweat it," Albus told her. "You're a really good friend, and I'm glad we were able to get over the initial awkward break up," he admitted. "And helping you make Daniel jealous is the least I can do," he said.

"So," James began to Arianna conversationally. "You and the Zabini girl used to be attached at the hip, right?"

"We got in a fight. She said that Albus must be using me, and then one thing turned into another. We haven't spoken in over a month," she admitted.

"You got into a fight over my brother?" James asked skeptically.

"James, I really, really care for your brother," Arianna said defensively. "He's a really great guy, I just want him to get the message. I don't want to be treated like his whore, someone he meets in secret for some fun," she shrugged.

"You love him, don't you?" James asked. He gave her a half smile as she blushed.

"I think so," Arianna murmured, looking over at where Albus was dancing with Jessica, her heart constricting a little. It hurt to see. When had her feelings gotten so out of control? When had a lot of lust turned into love? Did she love him? It certainly felt like it sometimes. "I think he's angry with me," she said softly, noticing he refused to meet her gaze.

"It's me he's pissed at," James disagreed. Arianna continued looking around, eyes finally settling on Olivia who was chatting animatedly with Hugo who suddenly leaned closer and kissed her. The look on Arianna and Olivia's faces were of identical surprise. Albus, apparently, had noticed too, and he nearly groaned in frustration. Maybe he should have gone the same route with Ari.

Eventually, James and Arianna sat down at a table, Jessica and Albus joining them only a minute later. Arianna risked a glance at Albus, smiling slightly. Albus' resolve to ignore her seemed to crack, and he returned her smile.

Arianna felt a surge or relief and she casually slipped her heels off under the table. With a slight smirk on her face she nudged Albus' leg, running her foot up his leg. Stifling a chuckle, albus grabbed her ankle under the table, watching as she slipped in her seat slightly.

"You alright?" James asked.

"Yeah, just clumsy, I guess," Arianna giggled, her voice a tad higher than usual. She yanked her foot away, slipping her feet back into her shoes. Albus was starting to calm down a little. He didn't like it, but he was starting to understand a little better.

He was determined that tonight would be _the _night, though. He needed her, and it looked like Hugo and Olivia were getting along a little too well. The bet wasn't really the most important thing on his mind, but once again, he realized that two hundred galleons was nothing to sneeze at. He was accepting that he had feelings for Arianna beyond that of lust. And his reaction at seeing James definitely proved that Albus liked Ari a lot. Maybe even enough to take their relationship public.

The night seemed to drag on, though he was pleased to see James didn't exactly spend the entire night dancing with Arianna, and at the end, held out his hand to Jessica, who accepted it with a smile, allowing him to pull her to the dance floor.

Albus turned to grin at Ari, taking her hand and pulling her to her feet. "Dance with me," he suggested, pulling her close, arms around her waist.

"So, you know when I said I was only a little bit jealous?" Albus questioned.

"Yes," Arianna confirmed, arms around his neck.

"Well, I lied. I was a lot jealous when I saw you with James," he admitted.

"You know there's nothing going on there, right?" Arianna demanded. "Y-You know how I feel about you," she reminded him, blushing slightly.

"You look beautiful, Arianna," he whispered to her.

"And you look very handsome," she said, indicating the tie the exact color of his eyes. "Very Slytherin of you."

"Very Gryffindor of you," Albus said, running his hand over the fabric of her dress lightly.

"Your friend and Olivia seem to be getting along fairly well," Arianna nodded in the direction of the two, looking like absolute love-struck puppies.

"Yeah," Albus agreed, sounding a bit sullen.

"Al-Albus," Arianna squeaked slightly. "I'm going to miss you over the holidays," she mumbled instead.

"I'll miss you too," Albus whispered, wishing he could lean down and kiss her.

"I want you to take me to the Room of Requirement," Arianna said suddenly, blushing at herself a little. "I know I freaked out last time, b-but I think I'm ready."

"Really?" he asked eagerly, a smile spreading across his face. Arianna nodded, albeit a little hesitantly. She was in love, and he obviously had some feelings for her. He had gotten jealous, very much so when she had shown up with James.

"Meet me there in fifteen minutes," Arianna instructed, freezing as he leaned down and kissed her quickly, lightly, and with a grin.

_Read and Review_

_Cunning and Ambition._


	18. Chapter 18

_Disclaimer: I don't own it_

Albus was nearly busting with excitement. He had practically ran back to his common room, grabbing his cloak and a change of clothes. He hoped she wouldn't back out on him. That would be beyond frustrating, but he would take it, he supposed. Merlin, he was going to shag Arianna Malfoy tonight. He wondered how long it would be until he got sick of her. He really did care for her, but how strong he wasn't sure in the least. Sure, she was beautiful and interesting, but was she a girl he could bring home to his parents? He hadn't decided yet. He could think about that later though. He got to the Room of Requirement first, waiting outside so the door didn't close behind him.

Arianna had gone back to her dorm, changing. She didn't want to show up in her dress. So she had settled for something simple. Black t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Besides, her dress had made a bra completely impossible and underwear options limited. Now she was wear a matching lacy black set. Merlin, push up bras really were magic. She looked in the mirror, shaking out her hair a little. Besides, leaving the Room of Requirement tomorrow morning in a floor length dress would be nearly impossible without everyone knowing exactly what had happened. And so, quickly, she made her way to the third floor, rubbing her hands on her jeans to wipe off the sweat that was gathering in small droplets on her palms. And there he was, looking calm as he waited outside of the Room for her, that was currently an expanse of tapestry.

"Albus," she murmured quietly, looking around. He turned to face her with a grin on his face. "You going to open the Room or not?" she asked in mock annoyance.

"I figure I'd give you the honors," Albus suggested.

"I'd rather you," Arianna admitted, chewing on her bottom lip. Albus nodded, pacing back and forth while Arianna continued looking for anyone else to come by.

When the door opened, she walked inside, met with the same room they had been spending so long it before. This time, the bed was back, and she was sweating more than ever.

"I liked the dress," Albus commented as he took her hand, tugging her gently towards the bed.

"S-should I have worn it?" she stuttered out, blushing like mad. Her first time shouldn't be this nerve wracking, should it?

"No, you look beautiful now too," he murmured, wrapping his arms around her waist, gently lowering her onto the bed, hovering over her, careful to keep his weight off of her small frame. Arianna nodded and with shaking hands pushed his dress robes off of his shoulders. He tugged them the rest of the way off, letting the heavy fabric hit the floor, leaving him in a dress shirt and black trousers.

"Slow, please," Arianna requested as he leaned down to kiss her. She was hesitant, and Albus knew the three words that would change that, that would make her his. But they hadn't proved necessary yet.

"I don't want to hide _us_ anymore, Al," Arianna gasped out after several minutes of kissing and exploring hands. Albus pulled back to look into her gray eyes, fingertips grasping the hem of her shirt.

"Me neither," he mumbled, not even knowing if it was true as he lifted her shirt over her head. He had seen every dip and curve of her body before, but it suddenly seemed much different knowing how close they were to really being together.

"Would you ever want to meet my family?" Arianna asked as her fingers traveled to the buttons of his shirt, undoing them slowly as she waited on his response.

"Probably," Albus mumbled. Why were they still talking? He reached behind her and unclasped her bra, letting the offending garment fall to the floor beside her shirt. The mood changed now as Arianna's hands sped, shoving his shirt off of his shoulders without a second thought, attaching their lips in a flurry of fiery kisses.

"I'm scared," she admitted as he made record time with her pants, leaving her in only her knickers as he pressed kisses over her chest, making her gasp for air. "I don't know if I can-" she broke off, not knowing how to continue. Would he be angry if she backed out now as his hips moved frantically against hers? Now or never, Albus could either roll off of her, or put her hesitance to rest. He needed her, needed to prove to himself that she was only his. Throwing caution to the wind he kissed her softly.

"I love you," he said clearly, knowing he would regret the words one day probably very soon. Love was a commitment he wasn't willing to make, but it had the desired effect as she undid the button of his pants.

"I love you too," she responded, a glowing feeling taking over her entire body. This was what she had wanted to wait for. Love. It was so strange a feeling, Infinitely better than just lusting for him. And so, instead of trepidation, she felt only elation as he slid her knickers down her legs, not knowing he was keeping careful tabs on where they landed. Love. Confirmation that Olivia had been wrong, he wasn't using her.

"Ready?" he asked, positioning himself between her legs, and Arianna took a deep breath, knowing it was going to hurt her.

"Be gentle," she requested, kissing his lips, her body straining slightly as he began to push into her.

"It will hurt less if I get it over with," Albus told her, touching the side of her face lightly as he saw the discomfort there that he knew would get worse in just another moment. Arianna nodded, squeezing her eyes shut as he surged forward, breaking her barrier and then stilling. Arianna's eyes filled with tears, and she tried desperately to blink them back, but a couple slipped down her cheeks. Merlin, it hurt! It didn't help that he was larger than she had expected.

"I'm sorry," Albus mumbled, brushing away her tears with the pad of his thumb. He waited, using all of his patience until her pain had ceased.

"I'm fine now," Arianna finally said, her pain turning to a burning lust that was nearly as bad and she rolled her hips against him experimentally. Albus let out a hiss of pleasure in answer as he began to move inside of her, slowly at first. Arianna emitted a soft moan, clutching his raven hair as she kissed him. It felt perfect, and even more so as he quickened his pace. It didn't take her long, as inexperienced as she was to reach her climax, and she came, calling his name, arching up off of the bed. A minute later, he had joined her in ecstasy with a satisfied grunt.

"Merlin, Ari," he groaned, pulling her into his arms as he collapsed on the bed beside her. Arianna had always heard that the first time was very emotional for a girl, but she hadn't realized just how true it was. They were good emotions though, and she had a feeling that almost every girl had a flash of hope that she could spend her life with the man she lost her virginity to. It had certainly happened to her. It was probably stupid, but she could hope, right? "Sleep," he encouraged when he saw her try and suppress a yawn. Arianna nodded, letting her eyes fall shut and sleep claim her.

The next morning, she felt a rush of disappointment to find that she was alone in bed, a note where Albus' head had been when she had fallen asleep.

_Arianna,_

_I'm sorry I had to leave, but I woke up and realized that I had neglected to pack last night and couldn't bare to wake you. Last night was beyond amazing, and I'll find a way to see you on the train. We can tell everyone about us when school starts back. Also, you asked me last night if I'd be willing to meet your family, and I will so long as you meet mine. I hope you're not mad that I left._

_Albus_

Arianna wasn't exactly mad. Maybe a little sad, but she let it go. Her trunks were packed and probably already on the train by now, so she left the room of requirement after finding her clothes from last night, noting in irritation that she couldn't find her underwear. They were probably lost in the tangle that was the sheets. So she just went without, realizing it was almost time to board the train and ran her hands through her tousled hair as she walked quickly to catch up with the other students in the Great Hall and onto the train, barely making it in time.

After about twenty minutes, she decided to try and find Albus herself, if only for a few minutes. She left the compartment full of girls, Olivia among them, though the two still weren't speaking more than an occasional hello.

"What the hell has got you smirking?" Hugo asked Albus finally, unable to take the incredibly smug look on his best friends' face as, unbeknownst to the two inside, Arianna found the door, stopping when she realized Hugo was in there as well.

"I did it," Albus said with a self satisfied grin. "And I saw things were pretty good between you and Olivia last night," he noted.

"Yeah," Hugo chuckled, his face tinting a light red. "Things are working well," he admitted. "You might want to move quicker, or I'm going to win the bet." _What bet_ ? Arianna questioned internally, not liking the sound of this.

"Too late," Albus chuckled. "Ari and I shagged last night," he grinned, and Hugo's mouth dropped slightly, while Arianna stood, out of view of the window, listening. How DARE he tell Hugo about that? It was personal. "Will you ever learn not to make bets with me?"

A bet? He had made a bet on whether he could shag her? No, she must be misunderstanding, he had said that he loved her. She was positively panicking now.

"Proof?" Hugo demanded, hoping for his friends sake that he hadn't made his intentions with Malfoy too clear, or she'd have his head on a silver platter. Arianna watched in horror as the case of the missing underwear was solved. He had stolen her underwear, the bastard! For proof.

"I thought Malfoy wore an iron chastity belt," Hugo chuckled a little.

"No, apparently just really sexy underwear," Albus smirked, thinking back to last night with a grin. He was getting paid for having the best night of his life.

"Where's my two hundred galleons?" Albus asked Hugo impatiently.

"I'll give it to you at home," Hugo mumbled, though he wasn't terribly upset. He wouldn't have wanted to win this particular bet anyway. Besides, he was out, having told Olivia about it, but Albus didn't know that, nor did he need to. "So you done with her now?" Hugo asked, a tad more sharply than intended. Arianna didn't want to hear the answer, which was part of the reason she opened the compartment at that moment, tears in her eyes.

"Ari," Albus began, clearly surprised, quickly shoving her knickers into his trunk, as if he could hide what had just transpired.

"I-I was a bet?" Arianna asked quietly. She noticed Hugo stand up to leave, and Arianna whirled on him. "Sit down, ginger!" she snapped angrily, and Hugo complied with wide eyes. Albus remained silent, not knowing what to say. "You bet two hundred galleons to see if you could fuck me?" she demanded.

"Ari, it's not like that-" Albus began, standing up, reaching for her arm, but she jerked away from him, hurt clear on her face.

"And you stole my underwear as proof," she accused, her voice rising in it's indignity. "Olivia was right, you were using me!" she yelled, shoving his chest hard as he came closer. She couldn't help it, tears were streaming steadily down her face now. Albus threw Hugo a quick glare. Arianna was trembling with fury. She whirled on Hugo, when Albus showed no signs of answering.

"He made this bet?" she demanded, and Hugo nodded hesitantly, knowing that she was already well aware. "And you agreed to try and get Olivia?" Another nod. "But you must of told her." Nod.

"Ari, listen to me, you owe me that much-" Albus began. Big mistake, and he could tell immediatley by the way her eyes flashed.

"I don't owe you anything! I _gave_ you everything, if you remember correctly!" she screeched, probably loud enough to be heard on the train, but she didn't care. "I slept with you because you said you _loved_ me!" Merlin, Albus was even more of an idiot that his best friend had realized.

"I care about you," Albus defended.

"But you don't love me," she snapped at him. "You said that so I would give in, not because you meant it."

"You didn't mean it either, Ari," Albus mumbled. "You just-"

"Don't try and tell me what I felt, Potter. I've meant every word I've said to you," she told him. "I can't bloody believe you would do this to me," she mumbled, looking at a spot a few feet above his head.

"What can I do to make you forgive me?" Albus asked, almost desperately, and Arianna let out a derisive laugh.

"You told me you loved me, took my virginity, and you stole my underwear all for a bet. You _hurt_ me. I'm not the type to forgive and forget," Arianna muttered, wiping away a stray tear, face red in embarrassment. She was the cheap slag that had been used, and she was sure the news was about to spread like wildfire. Stupid Malfoy girl had given up her virginity to Potter.

"Ari, please listen, it's not like that anymore," he defended, wishing he could reach out and hold her again. He had royally screwed up. Merlin, she was going to hate him for this. His name had already reverted to Potter.

"Oh, I'm so sure," she said scathingly, rolling her eyes. "You changed. You just happened to get two hundred galleons out of it, but you really did change for me. If you gave a damn about me you would have told me about the bet instead of letting me find out about it the night after I gave you my virginity." Her voice choked towards the end and she turned on her heel, practically running from his compartment, tears coursing from her eyes embarrassingly. She didn't want to cry over him, but how could she not? She eventually found a compartment with only Scorpius and Rose in it. It was the best she was going to do right now. At least Rose wasn't a gossip.

"Ari, what's wrong?" Scorpius demanded when she slid the door open. He stood up and hugged her tightly, patting her back. She never cried like this, and now she was sobbing into his shoulder, her whole body shaking. Rose was looking downright startled, and she looked at Scorpius, widening her eyes in question, and he shrugged his ignorance.

"I-I slept with Albus," she hiccuped. Scorpius stiffened instantly. "He said he loved me, and it was just a bet," she mumbled into his shoulder. Rose stood up immediately. Albus was a close friend, but he couldn't treat anyone like that. Scorpius clenched his teeth together, knowing now wasn't the time to kill the Potter boy. That would come when Arianna had calmed down a little.

How had Arianna let this happen? She had fallen _and_ slept with the enemy. She was hurt, but, more importantly, she was pissed, and as soon as she could stop sobbing and the soreness between her legs had faded, she was going to make his life a living hell.

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_Cunning and Ambition_


	19. Chapter 19

Rose stormed down the train, her curly red hair seeming almost alive. Merlin, now her boyfriend was going to be pissed off at her family because he cousin was a bloody idiot.

"What were you thinking?" she screeched when she slammed open his compartment door.

"Word travels fast," Hugo noted, giving Albus a sympathetic smile. Albus hit his head against the wall behind him.

"You better hope Arianna doesn't tell her father about what a bloody idiot you were," Rose said sharply.

"Oh, hell," Albus squeaked. "I hadn't even thought about that," he admitted, running a hand through his hair.

"You bloody well should have," Rose snapped. "Scorpius is furious."

"Shit," Albus mumbled. He was going to have all of Slytherin house at his throat, and Rose most certainly wasn't on his side, and Hugo had Olivia. "I'm a moron, a bloody idiot," Albus groaned. He had lost Arianna to his ego and was on several hit lists. Rose rolled her eyes.

"She's crying uncontrollably, I hope you know," she said, though her voice had softened slightly. At least he looked remorseful.

"You look like your about to cry," Hugo noted. "You like her."

"Well, of course," Albus said, as if it was obvious. "She's beautiful and funny. She doesn't take people's shit, and Merlin, I didn't think she would find out," he explained.

"So it wasn't _just _about the bet, then?" Rose demanded once more, and Albus shook his head quickly.

"I-no. I really, honestly care about her, but I told her I loved her because I knew I could win," he mumbled, flushing a bright red. "Tell her I'm sorry?" he requested.

"I'm not going to fix your problems, Albus. If you care about her, you'll talk to her." She turned on her heel and walked briskly for the compartment looking in and out of several more.

"Olivia," she said, opening another door. All the girls froze, afraid Head Girl was here to break up their fun. It wasn't like Rose was quite that bad. "Can you come with me?"

"Why?" Olivia demanded, crossing her arms and looking at Rose defiantly.

"Just come with me," Rose snapped, losing patience quickly. Olivia rolled her eyes, but stood up. She had heard, of course. Practically the entire train had heard. It was rather juicy gossip, quite frankly. Malfoy and Potter had slept together, and then Malfoy finds out Potter had made a bet on it. Olivia had possessed every intention on going to check on her best friend. Sure, they were having a fight, but they had known each other since they were born. Some bonds ran deeper than petty words. They had fought before, not spoken for months at a time, but things always managed to get back on track eventually. The major problem was, being as close as they were, and their families spending most major holidays together, they fought like sisters. With other friends, there was always a certain line you knew you couldn't cross, but Arianna and Olivia had no problem going right for the throat when they were angry enough, and that left things badly beaten, but not broken.

"She went to Scorpius, then?" Olivia asked grudgingly as she walked down the train a step behind Rose. She, honestly, couldn't stand Rose. The bossy attitude was stifling at best, and Olivia felt herself quite superior at times. It didn't help that Olivia was dating Rose's brother now.

"Yes," Rose said between clenched teeth. "I saw you with my brother," she added.

"_Problem, Weasley?_" Olivia demanded sarcastically.

"Not yet," Rose mumbled, opening the compartment and gesturing her in dramatically. God, Zabini was completely insufferable. Olivia immediately sat down beside Arianna, hugging her.

"I'm sorry," Ari said, her voice thick with tears, hugging her back tightly. "I should have listened to you," she mumbled."How'd you know?"

"Hugo," Olivia said. "Apparently he made the same bet about me," she said with a sigh. "So I assumed that was what was going on with Potter," she said.

"Wait, my brother-"

"Come on, Rose, give em' a second," Scorpius suggested, standing up and taking her hand, leading her from the room quickly. He didn't know how to react to his sister crying very well, and figured that Olivia could deal with it better without any interruptions.

"I feel so stupid," Arianna mumbled into her shoulder.

"Well, you'll feel better tonight. I'll come over to your house and bring a hell of a lot of chocolate, and you can get the firewhiskey," she suggested. "And we'll cry it all out, and be done with it in the morning. Then we can work out how to torture Albus," she suggested, and Arianna let out a watery laugh.

"I just want things back to the way they were," Arianna murmured, wiping her eyes. She wanted to be oblivious with Albus and still a virgin.

Merlin, it just wasn't fair. How had she been so damned stupid? She should have shied away from any chance of growing close to Albus. All it had been was lust for him. She had fallen in love, only to have her heart broken in the end.

The rest of the train ride passed agonizingly slow. Every time someone came near her, she could hear the whispers start, and the glances cast her way were no where near discreet.

She got off the train, looking around for her parents, or at least Scorpius when Olivia was gone.

"Ari," Albus said quickly, catching her arm and pulling her to the edge of the crowd.

"Don't touch me," she snapped, jerking her arm back from him, standing on her toes to look around, studiously avoiding his gaze.

"Please listen to me," Albus said. The tone in his voice momentarily disarmed Arianna, and she turned to look at him.

"Please, just stop," she said. "I don't want to hear excuses, alright?" Albus reached out and took her hand, refusing to let her pull it away.

"I'll do anything to make it up to you."

"I-" Arianna was cut off as a furious Scorpius made himself known. He gave Albus an angry glare, and Albus flinched minutely.

"Keep your hands off of her," Scorpius spat, taking a step towards Albus as Arianna withdrew her hand firmly.

"I can do what I want, Malfoy," Albus said from between clenched teeth. "I need a word with Arianna," he said insistently.

"You will stay away from her," Scorpius said again. "Unless you'd like my father to know

about what happened," he added, the threat clear.

"Just like you to run to daddy," Albus smirked. He knew he was stepping in it, and that he should be groveling, but he was angry, upset, and most of all pissed with himself. And it almost felt refreshing when the physical pain of a nose cracking hit him. At least that wasn't complicated. Scorpius had punched him in the nose. The nose had broken. It hurt. Those were things that didn't take much though.

Nor did it take much to retaliate, and it wasn't long before the two were practically at each others throats, both severely black and blue.

"If you ever get anywhere near my sister again, I swear I'll kill you," Scorpius shouted, scrambling up and kicking his ribs hard. Albus jumped up, though each breath was starting to hurt. Quite a crowd had amassed around them, some yelling encouragement, or Arianna, who was screaming at them to quit acting like 'bloody children.'

"What is going on here?" someone demanded, pushing through the crowd of students. Everyone stopped, and the crowd almost immediately disappeared at the furious look on Harry Potter's face. It wasn't long before Scorpius' father and both mothers had joined, looking between the two boys with a mixture of anger and curiosity.

"What's going on?" Draco demanded. Both Scorpius and Albus opened their mouths to speak, but Arianna was faster.

"They're both acting like two year olds. They had a disagreement, and they thought a barbaric Muggle fight was the best way to solve the problem," Arianna said, lifting her chin slightly.

"I'm sure Albus had reason," Harry interrupted.

"Malfoy started it," Albus said, very much acting the part of the two year old Arianna had just mentioned.

"Why?" Draco asked Scorpius with a severe look. Scorpius shot Arianna a helpless glance.

"I don't like him touching my little sister," Scorpius said. Silence fell as Arianna very nearly burst into tears again, but managed to hold herself together. Not everyone needed to know the details.

"Nothing is going on between Albus and I," Arianna said, eyes downcast. "It was a misunderstanding. We were just talking," she muttered. Everyone in the vicinity could tell that the whole truth had yet to come to light, but as all three children nodded their affirmation, the tension gradually lessened.

Draco gave Harry a curt nod that was returned reluctantly, and both families apparated to their respective homes hastily.

"Are either of you going to tell me what really happened?" Draco asked Scorpius and Arianna when they attempted to go immediately up the nearest flight of stairs.

"A misunderstanding," Arianan repeated.  
"Yeah," Scorpius said. "Potter and I have been a bit rocky since I started dating Rose," he added in an off-hand voice, trying to redirect the attention.

"I see-what?" Draco demanded, spluttering.

"I'm dating Rose," Scorpius said, shrugging. "Is that a problem?" he asked.

"Well, I guess not," Draco mumbled.

"Of course it's not," Astoria interjected, hugging her son. "That's so adorable!" she exclaimed. "We just have to meet her over the holiday. She had never had any personal problems with the Weasleys, so the trepidation that her husband felt was not her own. "I won't take no for an answer, in fact," she decided. "You're serious about her, yes?"  
"Very much so," Scorpius admitted, pleased with his mother's reaction.

"We could invite her family over for dinner one night, and try and make amends for the stupid fight you got into," she said, sounding rather harassed.

"Wait, mum," Scorpius protested. "She should just come over for a few hours, no need to get the entire Weasley family involved."

"It'll just be a dinner," Astoria sighed. "You act just like your father," she mumbled. "I'll write them a letter tomorrow," she decided.

"Dad, please restrain her," Scorpius requested, dashing up to his room quickly to avoid any more awkward conversation.

"Olivia's coming over tonight," Arianna told her dad. She knew that by now she didn't have to ask permission to have Olivia over.

"Alright," Draco responded. "You can tell me if there is something going on with the Potter boy. It's not like Scorpius to start a fight without reason," he added.

"Dad," Arianna sighed, "It's not important," she assured him. "Albus and I hardly even speak," she assured him.

"Alright," Draco said, glad that he wasn't going to have to talk boys with her. He liked to leave that sort of stuff to Astoria.

"Love you, dad," Arianna mumbled, hugging him tightly. She should have listened to him about boys. Both Micheal and Albus had ended up being complete asses.

"Love you too, Arianna," Draco said, though he sounded a bit confused. Arianna smiled and headed to her room as well, collapsing onto her bed with an unhappy sigh. An owl tapped on her window within five minutes, and she let it in, picking up the letter.

_Arianna,_

_I'm so, so sorry. Please believe me. It was only a bet for about a week, and then things changed. Please, write me. I have to make things right._

_Albus_

Arianna very nearly growled in irritation. She balled the parchment up, throwing it across the room. She couldn't believe he had the audacity to write her so soon after the fact with such a half-hearted apology! That stupid ass!

She decided to listen to him and actually write a letter.

_Potter,_

_Sorry, no. Don't write me again. You're lucky I didn't tell my father. I hope your ribs are bruised. I don't want your apologies or excuses. I've never lied to you, and I won't start now. What you did hurt me. I didn't think anyone would stoop that low. At least with Micheal I knew where I stood. You let me believe you cared, when you were even more of an ass than he ever was. Don't reply to this letter, but you asked for me to write you back. _

_Malfoy_

She sent the letter off quickly, not wanting to give herself time to revise it,to put in how much she wanted him to really be sorry. She didn't know exactly when Olivia would be over, but she hoped it was relatively soon.

_Alright, I really am not crazy about this chapter, but the story's coming to a close relatively soon. But if you like this chapter and this story then that'll just make my whole damn day! Sorry it's been so long, I'll try and upload a chapter every other week, but school's been crazy._

_Read and Review_

_Cunning and Ambition_


	20. Chapter 20

Olivia came over the whole night, and though she really did try to keep it to a minimum, she talked about Hugo quite a good deal. It only served to make Arianna more irritated, and the night ended with a much depleted bottle of firewhiskey. Her parents weren't terribly strict about alcohol, but being drunk was something they would not condone. It wasn't proper, especially for a lady, and apparently it was an embarrassment to the Malfoy name. So, Arianna was sure to lock her door and stay sober enough to know not to leave her room or bathroom.

The next few days passed miserably for both her and Albus. The only highlight of her day was, embarrassingly enough, the brilliant red rose that came every morning at precisely nine. She knew it was from Albus, and she knew she should be irritated, but she was flattered. The only irritating bit was being woken up every morning at nine, and then being too lost in thought to actually get back to sleep. She and Olivia were back on good terms, and she came over every couple nights. There were now five roses on her desk, in a small vase. She smiled ever so slightly upon looking at them as she got dressed.  
She had been instructed to look nice. Dinners were always a very formal affair at the Malfoys, and her parents and the Zabini's hosted a sort of gathering at the Malfoy Mansion every year. Basically, it was a chance for pureblooded girls to get paraded around in sexy and often times a little too revealing dresses and not be looked down upon for it. It was an old tradition, and marriage wasn't the purpose like it had been so long ago. Now, this year, the Wealeys, on account of Scorpius, had been invited, as well as the Potters, and Arianna was positively sweating.

"Help me," she requested of Olivia, pulling her hair up so her friend could tighten the halter strap of her striking silver dress. It was again, a fairly modest neckline. She had decided her back was one of her more flattering qualities, so that was on display again, though a little less so than for Yule Ball. She wanted Albus to simply die he wanted her so bad. She looked in the mirror, brushing a fine layer of a shimmering dust over her, giving her skin a slightly luminescent quality, a slight shimmer. Around her wrist was a single bracelet, a simple cuff made out of a curled snake.

Olivia's dress was of a deep purple-blue color, a fairly revealing v-neck, and a slit that revealed one leg up to mid-thigh when she walked, her already long legs made to look that much longer with a pair of heels, putting her even with where Hugo would stand. Her makeup was far more dramatic than her friends, playing up the smoky eye look, her hair fixed in curls down her back. Her parents would know tonight about her and Hugo, and she was almost as nervous as her friend.

"Still love him?" she asked Arianna, helping her fix her hair into a fuller look to frame her face.

"Yeah," Arianna admitted after a moment.

"Come on," Scorpius requested, knocking at her door. "I've got to escort you in, Ari," he reminded her. He came in, smiling at Arianna and Olivia.

"You both look lovely," he said with a smile. He looked in the mirror beside Arianna. His tie matched her dress. They had been matching in this way since they had been allowed to start attending these important gatherings instead of being put in their rooms.

He took her arm, leading her into the ballroom. It was like stepping back a couple generations. Save for the fashion, it was exactly like that. They were announced, they walked down a stair case, and then mingled with the other people of 'good society'. Arianna found herself alone as soon as Scorpius had seen Rose in a green dress that made her hair look like it was practically glowing, and Arianna had to wonder if some enhancement charm had been used to augment her already enviable curls.

"Wow," Hugo murmured upon seeing Olivia, taking her hand and leading her to a slightly more secluded spot, away from her parents. "You look absolutely gorgeous," he said,eyes glued to her, trailing up and down her body from her shoes to her face and back again.

"Thanks," Olivia blushed, smiling at him. "You look handsome as well," she said, straightening out his black tie set against a white shirt carefully.

"Not handsome enough to have you," Hugo grinned, tucking a bit of hair behind her ear and kissing her lightly, hoping that everyone was too busy to notice the two of them huddled in a corner. Olivia shook her head at him in exasperation, looking into his eyes, the lovely blue that made her heart thrum at every occasion.

"You're plenty handsome," she assured him. "Come meet my parents," she requested, giving him a slightly pleading look.

"Liv-" he began, his voice whining.

"Don't be scared, they're perfectly nice," she promised, kissing him again. "I'll make it up to you," she promised. Hugo sighed in defeat, smiling though as she slipped her hand into his and lead him towards her parents.

"Mum, dad," Olivia began. "I'd like you to officially meet Hugo Weasley," she said, blushing ever so slightly. "We're dating," she added helpfully, watching her father's face carefully.

"And why were we not aware of this?" Blaise asked, his voice quiet. Pansy kissed Olivia's cheek and shook Hugo's hand. It wasn't like it would last anyway, may as well be cordial. She nudged her husband slightly, who proceeded to shake Hugo's hand.

"It's nice to meet you both, your daughter is lovely," Hugo said.

"Thank you," Pansy smiled. Not particularly attractive herself, though she did have a highly commanding quality that drew men to her, she lived vicariously through her beautiful daughter. After a moment of pleasantries, Olivia had Hugo by the hand and was leading him away, much to the red head's relief.

"I have to admit Miss Malfoy, I'm a little offended," a voice sounded close to Arianna's ear. Before she could properly react, a pair of arms was around her waist.

"Albus," she murmured, recognizing the voice and feel of the embrace without much effort on her part. "Please leave me alone," she requested. She squirmed out of his grip before someone could see.

"I don't think I can," Albus admitted. "If I could, it'd probably be a hell of a lot easier, wouln't it?" he asked. He placed a hand on her back, taking one of her hands.

"You can waltz?" Arianna asked, unable to keep from giggling, just following his lead for now.

"I'm a man of many talents, Miss Malfoy," Albus informed her, looking down at her with a smile. "You look lovely, if I may say so."

"I suppose you may, but it won't work, whatever you're trying to do," Arianna told him. "I won't tell my parents, so you should calm down a bit," she suggested. He tightened his grip on her when she tried to pull away.

"Not all of my actions have an ulterior motive," Albus murmured.

"Only the most important ones," Arianna retorted, feeling close to tears again. "Why would you even do it?"

"Because I'm a selfish, idiotic prat," Albus answered automatically. "Think for a moment to the beginning of the term," he requested. "We didn't like each other much, did we?" he asked.

"No, I suppose not," Arianna admitted grudgingly.

"But I always knew you were gorgeous, even if I did deny it to anyone who dared to bring it up," he chuckled a little. "So when my best friend offers me two hundred galleons to shag you, admittedly, it seemed like a pretty good deal."

"Another stupid conquest then, this one just rewarded in a monetary way," Arianna translated. "I would have given you two hundred galleons if I had known you would have gone through with it. Just to stop you."

"It wouldn't have stopped me," Albus told her. "By that time I was much too far into your little claws, Miss Malfoy. Are you still angry with me?"

"Unbelievably," she answered, a sigh whispering through her lips.

"Please listen to me," Albus practically begged, tightening an arm around her waist.

"Fine," Arianna mumbled. Albus actually fell silent, as if surprised by her.

"I'm so, so sorry," he said, sincerity burning in his green eyes. "I was an ass hole that didn't think he would fall for a Malfoy."

"And you did, then?" Arianna asked.

"Hard, Ari," Albus agreed. He pulled back slightly, handing her a rose from the pocket of his jacket. "For you," he said, giving her a lopsided grin. "I am so sorry for hurting you," he whispered. "You have to believe that was never my intention. I-I thought maybe we'd shag and be done, but then it turned into a relationship. Merlin, I was so confused, and-"

"So was I," Arianna interjected. "But I was elated," she admitted, tears stinging her eyes and trailing down her cheeks. "I was so excited that you even cared. You told me how pretty I was, how much I meant."

"Please don't cry," Albus mumbled, wiping away a few tears with the pads of his thumbs. "Arianna, look at me," he said, tilting her face up. "I've never been more sorry for anything in my life. But you have to believe that it wasn't just in the temptation of money that I shagged you that night. I've shagged a few different girls, but that was something entirely different." And for some reason, Arianna believed him.

"You need to tell me what you want," she requested, biting her lip.

"Another chance. To prove that you're more to me than two hundred galleons."

"Even though you don't love me?" Arianna murmured.

"What if I thought I did?" he asked. "I think I lo-" He froze when she pressed her lips to his, effectively silencing him. She wasn't prepared to hear the word 'love' again and be crushed, but perhaps she could give him what he requested. Albus very nearly jumped with joy as she kissed him.

"Merlin, I'm so sorry," he murmured against her lips. Ari took his hand, guiding him towards the door and out into the yard, dragging him behind a tree.

"Don't do it again," she said sternly. "This is your last chance. I believe that you moved past the bet, but I'm still pissed that you made it in the first place," she continued. He wrapped both arms around her, lifting her off the ground in his jubilation, not letting her finish her warning. Arianna leaned in and kissed him once he had put her back down.

"Thank you," Albus said, realizing that this wasn't a second chance she was giving lightly. He felt like he was cradling something exceedingly fragile in his arms as he kissed her back. She was the kind of girl that _needed _to be handled carefully.

"We should go back," she said after a few minutes of kissing. Albus nodded, pressing his lips to hers once more and smoothing out her hair gently. "You look beautiful," he told her. "Your parents don't mess around, do they?" he asked, nodding towards her house, the people.

"They're just doing it to please Lucius and Narcissa," Arianna assured him. "They've always been very into this whole old-day pureblood thing."

"Will your parents be alright with _me_?" he asked.

"They're alright with Rose. We can go talk to them now," she said, grinning, holding his hand in hers as they headed back towards the house.

"Protect me," he requested.

"Sure thing," Arianna grinned. She guided him through the people, stopping only when he was yanked to a stop by a furious looking James, who hardly seemed to notice her.

"You're a bloody ass," James spat. "Do you know what I just heard?" he demanded. "Honestly, mum and dad would be furious. Give me one reason not to tell them that you bloody shagged your girlfriend on a bet."

"James, please don't," Arianna requested quietly, looking down. "I don't want it getting back to my parents. Everything's fine now," she murmured.

"And you're not upset?" James demanded.

"Of course I was!" Arianna snapped, hands on her hips. "But what I do is none of your business, quite frankly. If I want to be with Albus, I will, and we worked everything out."

"You're not acting like a Potter," James told Albus. "Nor a Gryffindor."

"Leave him be," Arianna said, sighing as she guided Albus towards her parents, pausing when she noticed Astoria already talking animatedly to Rose and Scorpius while Draco just looked mildly uncomfortable.

"You two are so lovely," Astoria said to Rose and Scorpius, Rose blushing slightly. "You'd absolutely give me gorgeous grandchildren," she grinned. For a moment everyone was silent, and then Draco was coughing and spluttering, Rose was a brilliant red, and Scorpius looked as if he might never recover from the embarrassment. Albus and Arianan stood, still absolutely silent, not sure they wanted to be acknowledged now, as they gripped hands tightly.

"Mum!" Scorpius finally managed.

"Oh, honestly!" Astoria exclaimed. "It was a completely benign statement, and a compliment," she sighed. "Honestly, if you two think I'm not aware you two are sleeping together..." she trailed off, turning to Arianna to see what she wanted.

"Oh, please tell me you two aren't dating," Draco requested, groaning. "Merlin, payback is a bitch," he mumbled, throwing his hands in the air as he stormed off.

"Is dad angry at me?" Arianna asked Astoria.

"No, he's just whining. Thinks that it's retribution for being a Death Eater," Astoria laughed a little, shrugging. Again, Astoria demonstrated her proclivity for pointing out uncomfortable truths that didn't necessarily need to be heard.

"Maybe it is," Albus chuckled, earning himself a glare from Scorpius.

"I thought you said nothing was going on," Astoria said to Arianna.

"_Was_," Astoria emphasized. "Things change." After a few more minutes of talking to Astoria and a sullen looking Draco came back, the two of them left, Albus quickly introducing her to his _entire_ family.

The worst part was probably meeting Teddy Lupin and and his girlfriend Victoire Weasley. Now, if Arianna was a pretty blonde, Victoire was a drop dead gorgeous one that hurt to be in the same room with. She had the slightest of French accents, the most piercing of gazes, and an obvious distaste from the Malfoy girl standing across from her.

"Hello," Arianna greeted, a little weary of meeting so many cousins. Surely this was Albus' strange way of making sure she knew that he cared.

"And you are?" Victoire asked, as if she wasn't standing in her house at the moment. She hadn't wanted to be here, but Teddy had dragged her along. When Astoria had invited the Weasleys and Co. she apparently hadn't bargained that the whole clan would show up, towing the Potters with them. Honestly, the family had decided on purely selfish reasons to come.

No one could blame them for disliking the snobbish purebloods, even if they weren't quite as bad as they had been, and so it had been an opportunity to show how much influence they had had on the war. She had been perfectly content to go over to Teddy's for a few hours, but no, he wanted to go. And now Arianna Malfoy of all people was standing in front of her in a much too expensive dress, clinging to her cousin.

"Arianna," the younger girl said.

"A little over the top, wouldn't you say?" Victoire asked, with an unkind smile, gesturing around the room vaguely.

"Tradition," Arianna mumbled, shrugging. She didn't want to get into it with Victoire.

"I suppose it's a 'pureblood' thing," Victoire added, looking down at the girl, still appearing petite in her heels.

"I suppose," Arianna agreed, once again shrugging, trying not to blush. She wouldn't let Victoire get the better of her in her own house.

"Are you all still arranging marriages?" Victoire pressed. "That's a pureblood tradition too, isn't it?" she asked, smirking.

"That ended during my grandparents' generation," Arianna said, her voice sharper than before. "We marry who we want now."

"And I suppose you're aiming to be a Potter?" Victoire spat, abandoning all pretenses quickly.

"I'm not _aiming_ for anything," Arianna bridled, crossing her arms. Albus and Teddy traded slightly panicked looks. "I'm dating Albus because I _like_ him."

"I'm so sure," Victoire laughed, flipping her hair in true Veela fashion.

"Lay off it, Victoire," Albus insisted sharply. "Ari didn't do anything to you. If you don't like it here, then leave."

"Come on," Teddy suggested. "Let's just go, alright?" he asked. Albus led a spitting mad Arianna away.

"She is such a..." she trailed off, searching for the right word. "Bitch," Arinna finally spat.

"Yeah, she really is," Albus agreed. "Probably should have warned you about her," he chuckled. He noticed that the crowd was beginning to thin quickly as people went home. "Introducing you to my whole family turned out to be a very long endeavor."

"Stopping to snog every couple people probably prolonged it," Arianna laughed. She was still a bit wary, not quite as enamored as she had been, in the stage before she had given him her virginity. Like and lust was enough for now.

"It was hardly snogging," Albus teased. "Just some kissing."

Arianna pulled him back outside and to a bench, maneuvering her dress a little to sit on his lap facing him. She kissed him hard, fingers in his hair.

"Thank you for believing me," Albus whispered against her lips.

"Welcome," Arianna said. She wished she had the sort of restraint to make him wait longer, work for it harder, but she wanted to be with him, and she figured there really wasn't much he could do to make her hurt more than what he had. Maybe she was being stupid, but, as much as she hated to admit it, she was still in stupid love with him.

"I won't hurt you again," he promised.

"You'd better not," she retorted.

"Arianna," a voice sounded, and she jumped nearly a foot in the air, hopping off of Albus' lap.

"I-dad," she stuttered, blushing furiously as she hastily combed her fingers through her hair. Albus flushed bright red.

"Mr. Malfoy," he greeted.  
"Your family is looking for you," Draco told Albus, trying not to throw the boy from his house and tell him never to come back.

"Right," Albus said. He kissed Arianna's cheek gently, squeezing her hand.

"Come back tonight," Arianna requested in his ear before going back inside, leaving a spluttering Albus in her wake, wondering if he had just heard her right. He caught up quickly, not wanting her father to catch on.

_Alright, I think I'm going to have two more chapters, the next one will be a lot of different skipping around between perspectives and times. I hope you liked it. They made up and you got a taste of the Weasley family a bit more. Sorry to 'love your fic' for not bringing them in as much as you would have liked. And sorry to those who wanted Arianna pregnant, I just couldn't do it to her. Lol. If you're interested in seeing pictures of the characters and outfits and such, let me know and i'll put up an album._

_Read and Review_

_Cunning and Ambition_


	21. Chapter 21

_I'd like to dedicate this chapter to the lovely anonymous person that reviews every chapter as 'love your fic' I used your suggestion as a transition into the future. Thanks! The chapter was lacking._

That night, it turned out, Arianna had just wanted him to stay the night with her. She hadn't hardly kissed him, but Albus found that he didn't much mind. He was content to hold her close, gently kissing her shoulder occasionally through a hole in her ratty shirt that he hadn't thought would have survived in the Malfoy household. He had snuck out her window the next morning.

School started back relatively soon, and Albus spent nearly every waking moment trying to make everything up to her. He knew that she had forgiven him, but in no way was he stupid enough to think that she had just forgotten everything. He sat in the Room of Requirement with her, on the floor as he did some of his homework he had neglected over the break, first in his Arianna induced depression, followed by the euphoric obsession. He smiled, sitting up and looking over her shoulder. She surprised him a bit by turning her head and kissing him on the mouth, gently at first, eventually turning to face him.

Albus grinned into the kiss for a moment, pulling her onto his lap. Arianna pulled back after a moment, making Albus pout.

"We haven't really snogged since your family's ball thing," Albus complained.

"But my back hurts," Arianna said, innocently. "Maybe if your rub my back we can go back to snogging," she smirked. Might as well make him work for it, she figured. He never knew why so many guys made a fuss about rubbing a girls' back. Honestly, it was an opportunity to feel her up without complaints, if you thought about it. She turned round, allowing his fingers to rub gentle circles over her shoulders and down her back. She let out a quiet, completely unintentional moan as he continued. "Albus," she warned as his hands drifted from her back to her abdomen, slowly working their way up.

"Sorry," he chuckled, moving his hands to her back again. "You're cold," he noted, gently massaging the skin barely visible between her shirt and skirt.

"I'm fine," Arianna sighed contentedly, turning again and kissing him. She wound her fingers into his hair tightly, kissing him with everything she had. They kissed like that for a while.  
"Do you want to..." she trailed off blushing slightly.

"Well, I don't want to push you," Albus mumbled.

"I asked you a question, and you did not answer it," Arianna pointed out. "I asked you if _you_ wanted to.

"Yes, I want to," Albus agreed.

"Want to what?"

"I want to have sex with you, but I don't want to push you," he sighed. "So, I'll wait."

"We could have sex." Albus took a second to comprehend what she had said.

"Wait-what?" he spluttered finally.

"First off, rub my feet, though," Arianna said, turning and putting her feet in her lap, gently running her foot up his thigh first, smirking. Albus could see where this was going. Her way of making him work for what he wanted. They didn't have sex that night. He spent it massaging various parts of her body and doing things for her. And about a week later, right as he was about to take her knickers off, she demanded that he tell everyone how fantastic and wonderful she was, and be generally soppy with her in the Great Hall. He announced to the Great Hall that she was pretty much the most wonderful thing he had ever known, properly sucking up. She had been quite energetic that night, appearing to have forgiven him completely as she experimented a bit with him.

Days together turned into weeks and months, until the day he graduated, and Arianna had been a sobbing mess, convinced he was going to dump her to go off and experience the world as an Auror. But she needn't have worried. He still wanted to be with her, and she had never been more elated in her life.

After she graduated, they moved in together, and Arianna was still on cloud nine. Of course, occasionally they would get into god awful screaming matches that would end with Albus on the couch for a night and Arianna sneaking to him in the middle of the night curling up against him. This would always lead to a night of cuddling or a night of hot make up sex.

"Happy birthday, love," Albus murmured, kissing his now twenty year old girlfriend.

"Thanks," Arianna smiled, winding her arms around his neck and kissing him.

"You going out with Olivia?" he asked, tucking some hair behind her ear with a fond smile.

"Nah, I thought I'd stay home with you tonight," she murmured, her fingers dancing over his chest lightly.

"Excellent," Albus said, grinning at her as he crushed her to him, kissing her in a blaze of passion. In an instant, her legs were around his waist, and he was stumbling towards their bedroom of the small flat, knocking over a lamp on the way.  
"My parents gave me that," she mumbled against his lips, smirking.

"I'll fix it later," he promised, pushing her onto their bed. "Or not," he shrugged.

"Go fix it now," Arianna retorted, grinning at him.

"No," Albus said, working on the buttons of her shirt quickly.

"It's my birthday," she pouted. "No shagging unless you do it," she threatened. Albus groaned, standing up and heading towards the hall where he had accidentally knocked over the lamp, repairing it and taking it back to Arianna for good measure.

"Done," he smiled, rejoining her on the bed. "You're wearing my favorite bra," he added with an approving groan, running a hand over the fabric and around the back, unclasping it.

"Is it your favorite?" Arianna asked, as if it was news to her. Albus pulled back to look at her, pulling a hand through her hair.

"Let's go out after this," he suggested, smiling. "I'll take you to dinner to celebrate," he grinned.

"You don't have to do that," Arianna smiled back.

"I want to," Albus insisted. "Won't take no for an answer," he added, giving her a stern look.

"Well, are you going to shag me first or not?" she asked, sighing in mock annoyance. "That was your goal after all, wasn't it?" Her little allusions to the bet that had taken place years ago drove him crazy to no extent.

"Let's wait till we're home," he suggested, kissing her lightly. Arianna pouted up on him.

"Please?" she requested quietly.

"Nah, then I'll never want to get out of bed," Albus said, hating to tell her no. Merlin, he wanted her.

"Well, I'll need to take a shower, join me?" she asked, sounding thoroughly desperate. It _was_ her birthday after all, he should be doing something that she wanted.

"Ari, just trust me, alright? We can do whatever you want in probably about two hours," he promised, kissing her gently.

"Fine," Arianna mumbled.

"Dress nice," Albus instructed, smiling at her.

"Leave and I'll get dressed," Arianna said, kissing him once more.

"I thought you had to take a shower," Albus retorted.

"I did an hour ago," she admitted with a laugh, pushing him off the bed and out of the room, a grin on her face even though he had just disappointed her in the extreme. She stuck her tongue out at him. "You'd better hope I'm in the mood later," she said through the door after she slammed it.

"Love you," he reminded her gently.

"Love you too," she sighed, going through the closet and finding a black dress, slipping it on quickly and proceeding to get ready quickly. She positioned her bra, figuring that she could at least torture him a bit. She put on his favorite pair of heels, then stepped out of their room, allowing him to get ready.

"This alright?" she asked.

"Definitely," Albus agreed, pulling her against him, hands drifting past her back. Ari giggled, swatting his hand away playfully and pushing him towards the closet.

"Get dressed."

"Yes, mother," he said, pushing her out of the room in return. In another minute, he took her hand and apparated them to the outside of some Muggle restaurant Arianna had never been to.

"Protect me from the scary Muggles," she requested, shrinking into his side slightly.

"Always," he murmured, kissing her once. "Ari," he began when they sat down, feeling rather nervous.

"Al," she responded, laughing as she leaned over and kissed him again.

"We've been dating for what, three years now?" he confirmed.

"A little over," she agreed, nodding. She beamed at him. "My parents spent the first year asking me when I was going to break up with you," she admitted.

"Mine almost convinced me to when I graduated. But I couldn't stand the thought of not being with you," he murmured. "I still can't stand the thought." Arianna smiled, blushing a little.

"I never expected to be here with you now," Albus continued. "It's hard for me to believe that I ever disliked you. Or that I ever made that bet," he admitted. "You have no idea how grateful I am that you took me back after that."

"Course I did," Arianna shrugged. "The hardest part to get over was being afraid to love you," she admitted. "I knew I did, but for the longest time, I didn't think you did."

"Well, now you know," he grinned. "I love you, and I will until you're sick of me." He stood up and took her hand, pulling her to her feet.  
"Al," she giggled, standing up, watching as the Muggles started at her as if she was a freak, standing there with her boyfriend. "What're you doing?"

Albus kissed her once before dropping to a knee and pulling out a little black box. Arianna gasped, clasping a hand to her mouth, trying not to let tears fill her eyes.

"Marry me," he requested. His face fell when she was absolutely silent, not a word leaving her lips for several seconds. "Ari," he mumbled, standing up, nearly falling over when she launched herself at him, arms tight around his neck.

"You mean it?" she whispered.

"Of course," Albus said. "I can't imagine something that would make me happier."

"Yes," she murmured, kissing him hard, not caring they were in the middle of quite a few Muggles around. "A hundred thousand times yes." He lifted her off the ground in his excitement, pulling back to slip the ring onto her finger.  
"It's beautiful," she whispered, looking down at it.

"Olivia," Hugo sighed, taking her hand when he reached her apartment.

"Hugo," Olivia responded, sighing dramatically, teasing him. "Where are we going tonight?" she asked.

"Let's just walk," he suggested quietly, looking at her. Merlin, she really was a beautiful woman. She nodded, and they woke in silence down the street that she was living on. "Olivia," he began again.

"What's wrong, Hugo?" she asked, stopping him in their path. She gave him an encouraging smile.

"Nothing's wrong, pe rse," he admitted. "It's just, I think we should see other people," he said in one breath, not wanting to drag it out any longer. She was his first serious girlfriend, and he thought it might be good to get out and experiment before committing completely. They were too young to be married,and he wanted to make sure he honestly did love her and she was the one.

"Hu," Olivia mumbled, searching for some sort of indicator that he was lying or joking. "B-but why?' she demanded. "What did I do?"

"Nothing, Liv," Hugo said insistently. "It's not you, it's me," he added, wincing when she shot him a glare.

"Honestly, you're going to use _that _?" she demanded, crossing her arms. "Fine, Hugo," she sighed. "I suppose that's alright. I can't make you stay with me," Olivia murmured, tears stinging her eyes as she turned away from him.

"I'm not trying to upset you," Hugo said, taking her hand. "But I-"

"Don't love me anymore?" Olivia suggested. She pulled her hand away. "It's alright," she murmured again, kissing his cheek.

"Maybe I'll change my mind," Hugo said weakly, hating how upset she was.

"Maybe," Olivia shrugged, not seeing that as a big possibility.

"Can we be friends?" He asked hopefully, giving her a slight smile.  
"No, probably not," Olivia admitted, sighing. She walked briskly towards her home, her heels hitting the pavement quietly as tears made their way down her face.

_Alright, you find out more about Scorpius and Rose next chapter. The last chapter. :) I'll have an offer at the end of that one, though, and you can tell me how you like it._


	22. Chapter 22

"You're getting married," Astoria said, choking a bit on the words. Merlin, her daughter was going to be married in approximately fifteen minutes. "You look beautiful," she murmured, adjusting a part of Arianna's dress just to give her shaking hands something to do.

"You really do," Olivia nodded, looking striking in a deep blue dress. "Albus will lose his mind," she laughed, admittedly nervous about seeing her ex and being expected to enter with him. But they were adults now, it seemed silly to hold grudges. It wasn't like most relationships worked out like Albus and Arianna's. Actually, Olivia had suggested that Albus might have rushed into a proposal, and that Arianna should perhaps wait, but the blonde had, as expected, flipped her hair, huffed, and ignored Olivia for two weeks.

Not a month after Albus' proposal, Scorpius has popped the question, and much to his chagrin, Rose had declined. She had said that she wasn't ready to settle down, and she and Scorpius had to accept that they were on different levels in their life. Purebloods, even if Scorpius didn't buy into the whole ideal, seemed to be raised with the idea of an early marriage, where as others seemed a bit more modern. Scorpius had wanted a family, and Rose had not. So they had split. Arianna had been too wrapped up in her own wedding plans to offer much sympathy for Scorpius. She wasn't unkind, just too preoccupied to really be sad for her brother.

But Scorpius couldn't really complain anymore. Sure he still missed her sometimes. She was the first girl that he had ever actually _loved_, but if it hadn't been for their break up, he wouldn't be happily dating the maid of honor, now would he? It wasn't the pure passion he had felt with Rose, but it was a nice feeling. He didn't know how to explain his emotions for someone he had always assosciated with his little sister, but she was the kind of woman he could have a family with, and that was something Scorpius knew now that was important to him. Only upon this knowledge had Scorpius learned that it was generally accepted that the two of them would be together, especially by their families, who had always thought a Malfoy-Zabini union would truly be something of importance. Did he buy into that idea? Not really. Was he happy with Olivia? Yes, he was. He kissed Olivia lightly, then hugged Ari.

"You look lovely," he told her with a smile. "Albus is a lucky guy," Scorpius added, kissing her forehead before going to find his seat in the crowd of people, towards the front. Arianna was practically trembling as she took her fathers arm, watching Olivia walk with Hugo to take their places. She caught the slightest glimpse of Albus before she began walking, and she beamed.

"Love you," Draco told Arianna, choking a bit on the words. He had long since accepted that Albus was to be his son-in-law, and found that he actually kind of liked the boy, not that he'd ever really say that aloud. But he was supportive.

Albus' breath caught when he saw Arianna. Merlin, she was so beautiful it hurt to look at, at least, that was the only reason his eyes would be stinging and prickling so uncomfortably. He took her hands as soon as she was within reach, nodding to Draco as he grinned at her.

"You're beautiful," he mouthed to her before the vows began. They both repeated in a complete daze, his eyes locked on hers the whole time, blindly nodding until he heard himself say 'I do.' He held his breath until she repeated his words. In an instant, he had his arms around her and was kissing her in a way that was probably not appropriate with their families watching.

"Mr. and Mrs. Albus Potter," they were announced, and Arianna wiped at her eyes hastily as rice was thrown their way on their path out. Scorpius chuckled as he got a significant amount her hair, Olivia whacking his arm in return, shaking her head.

"Never in my life have I been happier that I made that bet," Albus whispered later at the reception, as they shared their first dance, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "It was worth every back and foot rub, and confessions of love to be with you," he murmured.

"Damn straight it was," Arianna nodded, her voice cracking as she kissed him softly. "For what it's worth, I'm very glad you made the bet too. You taught me a lot about lust, love, and heartbreak," she murmured.

"Hopefully not too much of the last," Albus said with a slight smile.

"Enough to know when it's worth it," Arianna whispered , kissing him once more.

"I love you, Mrs. Potter," he murmured against her lips.

"Albus, how would you feel about-well, about a baby Potter?" Arianna asked him quietly, looking into his glowing green eyes.

"Ecstatic," Albus grinned.

_Okay guys! That's the end of _this_ fanfic, however, I know that some people **cough** breebree711 **cough** will be a bit upset with how the RoseXScorpius part went, but I can offer you all a consolation! I can either begin work on my next fanfic. It will also be Next Generation, but told through a series of journal entries of some seriously messed up Pureblood children. And I **promise** that has lasting ScorpiusXRose or I can write a relatively short side-fic about how Scor and Olivia came to be and the issues they end of facing when Rose and Scorpius are working as Aurors and having trouble behaving as proper. You tell me! Sorry this was short, but I felt like dragging it out would make it worse. Thanks to all of you that stuck with this story till the end. Link for pictures are up on my profile._

_Cunning and Ambition_

_ps. I'm looking for fic challenges to keep me motivated. Any criteria, any rating you want, any random words that you want used! You tell me a basis or a frame, some stipulations, and I'll write it if I like it. Thanks!_


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